Volume #9-2023 | November 2023 | |
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
November 2023
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Updated OASIS-E Manual and CMS OASIS Q&As
The 2024 Update to the OASIS-E Manual, and the associated Change Table, are available in the Downloads section on the OASIS Users Manuals page. There are no changes to the OASIS-E instrument.
Updated Static Q&AS Effective 10/2023 are available in the OASIS-E Q&As section of the CMS QTSO webpage, https://qtso.cms.gov/providers/home-health-agency-hha-providers/reference-manuals.
The changes incorporate guidance into the manual and Q&As from the CMS Quarterly Q&As dated July 2022 through October 2023.
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2024 Home Health PPS Final Rule
The calendar year 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System Final Rule was published on November 02, 2023. The following are the Home Health Quality Reporting Program proposals that have been finalized: CMS finalized the addition of two quality measures to the HH QRP: the COVID-19 Vaccine: Percent of Patients/Residents Who Are Up to Date and the Discharge Function measures; the removal of two Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS)-based data elements: M0110-Episode Timing and M2200-Therapy Need; the codification of the previously finalized 90 percent OASIS data completion threshold policy in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR); and the public reporting of four measures: Transfer of Health (TOH) Information to the Provider-Post-Acute Care(PAC), TOH Information to the Patient-PAC, HH QRP COVID-19 Vaccine: Percent of Patients/Residents Who Are Up to Date, and the Discharge Function measures. CMS also summarized feedback on its request for information on future HH QRP measure concepts and an update on health equity in the HH QRP. The rule can be accessed at: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2023-24455/medicare-program-calendar-year-2024-home-health-prospective-payment-system-rate-update-quality.
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Updated Quarterly OASIS Q&As
October 2023 OASIS Q&A's are available in the OASIS Quarterly Q&As section of the CMS QTSO HHA Reference and Manuals webpage.
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OASIS Answers Home Health Training Webinars
The OASIS Answers, Inc. (OAI) 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. Topics are based on the issues that are most pertinent to agencies and will be driven by CMS updates or changes that are critical to agency success. Check out the webinar topics listed HERE!
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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 CONTACT INFORMATION | |
For questions regarding OASIS Assessment, Coding, Transmission or Technical Issues,
email KY OIG HC Support.
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 | |  |
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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Commonwealth of Kentucky | Office of Inspector General | 275 East Main St., Frankfort, KY 40621 | |
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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