For case managers, working with patients experiencing homelessness is always a challenge. But now, amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many fear the problem will soon grow exponentially worse.
Rose has worked as a cardiology case manager at a hospital in the Southwest for the past 17 years. She enjoys her job and her patients. A significant portion of her patient population is comprised of a community of veterans. She knows that it is common for veterans to live near one other, as their shared war experiences provide a source of understanding and support not often available from civilians.
Q: A recent study by the California Lab Policy reported 50% of unsheltered individuals experience "tri-morbidity" (co-occurring physical health, mental health, and substance abuse challenges), compared to just 2% of sheltered individuals. What can case managers do to assist these patients?
Case management directors and their staffs are vigilantly watching the nursing homes in their areas to determine which nursing homes have available beds and which may have no beds at all due to a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Q: In the 2021 OPPS proposed rule, CMS suggested that there is no longer a need for the inpatient-only list. What could this mean for case managers going forward?
Is the inpatient-only list soon to be a thing of the past? It’s possible. In the 2021 OPPS proposed rule, released August 3, CMS suggested that there is no longer a need for the inpatient-only list. Instead, CMS recommended deferring to the physician’s clinical judgment.
