The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for everyone, but medical professionals who are working directly with sick patients—and in turn putting themselves and potentially their families at risk—face unique levels of trauma.
Q: If our organization failed to provide the Medicare Outpatient Observation Notice (MOON) or the Important Message from Medicare (IM) form to a patient during the chaos of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, should we avoid submitting a Medicare claim for the case?
COVID-19 Medicare billing rules continue to evolve, so it can be challenging to stay abreast of the developments. Some recent changes have given case managers and hospitals more flexibility when it comes to treating both COVID-19 and non-COVID patients, as medical practices increasingly look to resume providing elective surgeries and other procedures.
Q: Case managers are often being called to fill other roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. How can case managers contribute if they lack the skills or the recent experience necessary to succeed as bedside nurses?
Doug’s wife drives him to the local hospital emergency department (ED) because he has been experiencing possible COVID-19 symptoms for the past week. His symptoms started with a headache, a dry cough, muscle aches, and a low-grade fever of 99.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
Q: Hospital case managers must constantly adapt to the conditions created by COVID-19 to best serve their patients. How can they create new ways of meeting patient and family needs during this pandemic?
