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?
With the current COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare facilities are either working at a frenetic pace to treat an increasing number of sick patients or frantically preparing themselves for what’s yet to come.
Case managers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are one of them, you’re likely looking for some guidance to help navigate the challenge, particularly when it comes to patient status decisions.
As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, the government has continued to issue regulatory changes in an attempt to ease the strain hospitals are facing. There are several updates relevant to case managers.
Q: At times, case managers with nursing backgrounds are being asked to fill in and assume patient care roles during the COVID-19 pandemic. What should case managers do if they do not feel comfortable they can succeed in the roles they've been assigned?
