You're receiving this email because of your relationship with the Office of Inspector General, Division of Health Care. Thank you for your continued commitment to serving the citizens of our Commonwealth!
Cabinet for Health & Family Services
Office of Inspector General
Division of Health Care
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Home Health Agency Newsletter
April 2022
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The Kentucky Office of Inspector General is committed to the protection of patients and residents of healthcare facilities from the spread of infectious disease. Regarding any coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, you may refer to the following website for the most up-to-date news and information:
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Approval of Dementia Care Training Curriculums
Pursuant to the 2021 passage of SB 61, home health agencies and personal services agencies are required to obtain approval from the Department for Aging and Independent Living for the dementia care curriculums they utilize to provide training to aides and staff who provide direct care to patients or clients who exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia.
For detailed information regarding approval of your agency’s dementia care training curriculum, please refer to the attachments below. If you have any questions, please contact:
Jennifer R. Craig
Office of Dementia Services Coordinator
Department for Aging and Independent Living (DAIL)
Cabinet for Health and Family Services
275 East Main Street 3E-E, Frankfort, KY 40621
(502) 234-4432 (cell) & (502) 564-1116 (office)
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Requesting an Informal Dispute Resolution
The purpose of the informal dispute resolution (IDR) process is to give the facility an opportunity to informally dispute a finding of a cited deficiency at a nursing facility or skilled nursing facility after any survey.
A provider shall have one (1) opportunity to informally dispute a cited deficiency or scope and severity assessment that constitutes substandard quality of care or immediate jeopardy.
If a facility requests an IDR, they must submit the request in writing on or before the 10th calendar day following the receipt of the Statement of Deficiencies (SOD). The day the facility receives the SOD is considered day 0. The request must be submitted to the IDR Coordinator, Jennifer Smith, either by mail at 275 E. Main Street, 5E-A, Frankfort, KY 40621, or via email at jennifersmith@ky.gov. Sending a request via email will alert the IDR Coordinator of the request and ensure that the request is documented within the 10 day timeframe, however, any supporting documentation must be received on or before the 10th calendar day of receipt of the SOD. The request must include an explanation of the deficiencies that are being disputed, supporting documentation to explain the facility’s reason why the deficiency should not have been cited, and the desired outcome for each disputed deficiency. Please remember that no new information may be introduced after the 10-day timeframe.
There are three (3) types of IDR’s that can be requested: a Desk Review is available for any cited deficiency, a Telephone Review is available for any cited deficiency, or a Face-to-Face Review/Panel is available for a deficiency that is cited at a scope/severity of a G, H, I, J, K, or L or a cited deficiency that is substandard quality of care. Listed above are the basic requirements for submitting a request, however, please see Federal regulation 42 CFR 488.301, or State regulation 906 KAR 1:120 for further information concerning additional requirements to submit a request for an IDR.
Requesting an IDR does not limit the legal appeal processes that are afforded to Long Term Care Facilities under federal laws and regulations. Requesting an IDR does not relieve the facility of the requirement to provide a plan of correction or to implement corrective action and does not delay the effective date of an enforcement action that may result from the survey findings.
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Home Health Demographic Data
CMS will be transitioning to a new data source for a provider’s demographic data for home health agencies and the other Post-Acute Care (PAC) provider types (Skilled Nursing Facilities / Nursing Facilities (SNF/NFs), Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs), and Long-Term Care Hospitals (LTCHs)). Historically provider demographic data have been maintained in the Automated Survey Processing Environment or ASPEN software; however, CMS will be transitioning to use the demographic information from Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS). While this transition is underway, a final date when all demographic data will be obtained from PECOS has not been identified. During this transition, all PAC providers will be responsible to ensure their latest demographic data are updated and available in both ASPEN (SNF/NFs, IRFs, LTCHs, and Hospices) or iQIES (HHAs) and PECOS systems. A referencing document that outlines the steps each PAC provider should follow can be accessed in the Downloads section of the How to Update Home Health Demographic Data page. Should you have questions regarding this updated process, please contact the iQIES help desk by email at iQIES@cms.hhs.gov or by phone at (800) 339-9313.
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Updated Quarterly OASIS Q&As
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OASIS Answers Home Health Training Webinars
The OASIS Answers, Inc. (OAI) "Just in Time" monthly home health training webinars are designed to provide the most innovative training to your clinicians, clinical leaders, quality improvement teams and auditors. These sessions will ensure that you are aware of and know how to apply the most recent, most relevant, and most accurate CMS home health information. Monthly topics are based on the issues that are most pertinent to agencies for the month and will be driven by CMS updates or changes that are critical to agency success.
Upcoming sessions are available in either a Live or Recorded format. Previously aired webinars are offered as a recording only. Take a peek and see how the OASIS Answers' webinar series can supplement your organization's training!
Click HERE to reserve your spot!
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Interested in Serving on an IDR Panel?
Kentucky requires one member of the IDR panel to be "a person currently engaged in the provision of Home Health Agency services who has no affiliation with the provider disputing a deficiency." Typically, a Home Health Agency Director is on each IDR panel. There is no payment or travel reimbursement for a Director serving on a panel. Directors will be rotated. If a Home Health Agency Director is interested in serving on a panel, a confidentiality statement must be signed prior to the participation in the first IDR panel.
Jennifer Smith, RN
RAI/Oasis/IDR-IIDR Coordinator
Office of Inspector General
Division of Health Care
275 E. Main St., 5E-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
Fax: (502) 564-6546
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Home Health Agency Questions and Answers
Home Health Agency (HHA) Providers can access the Home Health and OASIS Q&As and other reference manuals on the HHA Providers Reference site.
These Questions and their responses have been developed over many years of experience training OASIS coordinators and are currently used as part of the Home Health Agency Surveyor Training program. They can and should be used by home health agency providers in training new staff on the basics of OASIS and also as a refresher for existing staff.
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OASIS Answers, Inc. is a team of experienced nursing and therapy professionals who concentrate their skills, experience and passion to meet the needs of clients at the state association, federal government, quality improvement organization, private industry, and individual provider levels.
Click here for the latest information on their webinars.
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OASIS CONTACT INFORMATION |
For questions regarding OASIS Assessment, Coding, Transmission or Technical Issues,
For questions regarding HHA Licensing or Regulations,
contact Rose Thompson via e-mail.
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Please note: Do not send any identifiable patient information through e-mail. This includes patient names, SSNs, dates of birth or any other data items considered identifiers or Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA. Please redact any PHI prior to sending.
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OASIS Data Specifications |
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KARES
To enroll in KARES voluntarily, please click the icon above and follow the self-directed enrollment process.
For additional information about the program, please contact the help desk at (502) 564-2159 or via email.
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Click here to visit the website or click here for guidance on how to verify and update home health demographic data.
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Reporting Complaints
Email addresses have been established for use by patients and the general public to report possible violations of regulatory requirements. Click Here for the email addresses and additional contact information based on the facility's location.
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Which Branch
is Serving You?
To provide the highest level of service, the Division of Health Care operates through four regional offices. Knowing the appropriate Branch to contact with questions and concerns will ensure you receive maximum service in minimum time. Review links below for detailed information.
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CMS Survey and Certification memoranda, guidance, clarifications and instructions to State Survey Agencies and CMS Regional Offices.
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Medicare Learning Network
Let the Medicare Learning Network (MLN) be your home for Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) education, information, and resources.
Visit the Medicare Learning Network for free educational materials for health care professionals on CMS programs, policies, and initiatives.
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Quality, Safety & Education Portal
CMS's QSEP provides the full curriculum of surveyor training and guidance on health care facility regulations. All training is available on-demand on a top-notch self-service portal. 24/7 access means you have the freedom to learn what you want, where you want, when you want.
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Sign Up for This Newsletter
If you have received a copy of this newsletter from a friend or co-worker, you can click on the Sign Up button to enter your information and join our mailing list.
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Employment Opportunities
To search and apply for positions within the Office of Inspector General, please visit the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet's web page by clicking the sign above.
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DHC Leadership Team:
Inspector General
Deputy Inspector General
Director
Assistant Director
Assistant Director
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Commonwealth of Kentucky | Office of Inspector General | 275 East Main St., Frankfort, KY 40621 |
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The Office of Inspector General is the regulatory and licensing agency for all health care, day care and long-term care facilities and child adoption/child-placing agencies in the commonwealth.
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