Why would anyone mention value-based reimbursement, medical necessity and the Jimmo lawsuit in the same sentence? I feel they are all related, but it will be difficult to find the perfect balancing act...
OIG? OMG! One lump problem
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jan 23, 2013
The Office of the Inspector General’s recent report about what it calls $1.5 billion in inappropriate Medicare payments to skilled nursing facilities should be yet another wake-up call to providers.
Are you prepared? 5 questions you need to know the answers to
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Aug 27, 2013
With all the recent regulatory changes that have come down the line, or are about to, we developed a simple five-question survey that each provider had to ask every therapy employee. If you can develop...
GTB. AYS?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Oct 22, 2013
Can anyone guess what the title to this blog is stating? In the current culture of text messaging and abbreviations for everything, it can be a danger zone for medical documentation. Unfortunately, I have...
Tai chi: a trend worth pursuing?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jun 19, 2014
I was recently watching one of the news channels and they talked about a study that was conducted that showed that men who performed tai chi exercises lived longer. While I’m not a male, sign me...
Are standardized assessment tools our future?
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
May 20, 2014
With therapy documentation being put under the microscope more than ever, you would be wise to make sure standardized assessment tools are at your fingertips. Unbiased views of data and outcomes information...
Eastern vs. Western standards of practice
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jun 26, 2012
The theory of improving function in China is overshadowed by the focus on comfort, reducing pain, and providing as much rest as possible. From a cultural standpoint, the family dynamics are very different...
Increasing length-of-stay
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jan 30, 2012
Length-of-stay — LOS — is one of those management reports that often leaves administrators and upper management bewildered. If you increase LOS, you essentially increase your census.
Top 5 ICD-10 changes for 2014
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jan 30, 2014
Have you started your countdown clocks yet? It looks like it’s definitely happening this year on Oct. 1, 2014. The transitions from ICD-9 to ICD-10 coding will 100% absolutely take effect for the...
The G-codes are here for payment claims — ready or not
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
May 23, 2013
Effective July 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will begin rejecting claims received for Medicare Part B patients that do not include the new requirement of G-coding. That really means providers...