CMS wants your thoughts on its 2017 OPPS proposed changes. In various places in the proposed rule, CMS specifically asks providers to comment on the proposals. You may submit comments to the agency until September 6.
Observation hours start accruing not when the patient comes into the hospital, but when the physician writes the order for observation. Observation hours end when all medically neces¬sary services related to observation are complete.
Assigning the correct patient status is a constant challenge for hospitals and the case managers who are charged with ensuring these decisions are accurate.
Hospitals were struggling this summer to comply with the Notice of Observation Treatment and Implication for Care Eligibility (NOTICE) Act, which was signed by President Barack Obama August 6, requiring hospitals to provide a verbal and written notice of outpatient status to any patient in observation who has been in the hospital for more than 24 hours.
Physician advisors (PA) are an important ally for case managers at many organizations when it comes to ensuring proper patient status. But one organization has greatly expanded the role of PAs to include performance improvement and as a result has seen improvements in everything from readmissions to length of stay.
