OASIS-Central

Q: If a patient is in the hospital for the last part of their certification period, should the patient be discharged effective the end of the certification date or effective the date of the last visit made?
A: An agency is free to establish its own policy for determining the date of discharge. It might [...]

Q: Can our agency bill Medicare for one skilled nursing visit to administer the flu vaccine if the patient is currently active, receiving other skilled services, and we get a physician’s order?
A: In 2002, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) determined it was not necessary for an agency to obtain orders to administer [...]

Last week’s post offered insight into different publicly reported outcomes. Here is a detailed list of exactly what will be reported.
What will be reported?
A. Process (7 domains, 13 measures)
B. Potentially avoidable events (clinical domain, one measure)
C. Utilization outcomes (utilization domain, two measures)
D. End result outcomes (clinical and functional domain, seven measures)
A. Process Measures (13)
Timely Care:
Timely [...]

Q: In reference to M2250, we have always considered our referral to be our verbal order for care, since it contains orders for care from the doctor and we get it prior to providing services. We wouldn’t make a visit without having this referral. This has always been okay with our surveyor. We then send [...]

There are two new data elements in OASIS-C that ask about the start of care date:
• M0102, date of physician-ordered start of care (resumption of care), and
• M0104, date of referral (date the agency received the written or verbal referral for initiation of care).
According to the Conditions of Participation, §455(a), the start of care visit [...]