This week we have an excerpt from Observation Services Training Handbook, written by Janet L. Blondo, LCSW-C, MSW, CMAC, ACM, CCM, C-ASWCM, ACSW. For more information and to purchase, visit the HCPro Marketplace.
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.
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.
Assigning the correct patient status is a constant challenge for hospitals and the case managers who are charged with ensuring these decisions are accurate.
