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Implementing the New SNF PPS Provisions. Thursday, September 8, 2011 Megan Hamilton, MS, CCC, SLP Darrell Shreve, Ph.D. AGENDA. Student Supervision Change MDS Assessment Schedule Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes ABN & Generic Notice EOT OMRA and EOT-R OMRA
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Implementing the New SNF PPS Provisions Thursday, September 8, 2011 Megan Hamilton, MS, CCC, SLP Darrell Shreve, Ph.D.
AGENDA Student Supervision Change MDS Assessment Schedule Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes ABN & Generic Notice EOT OMRA and EOT-R OMRA New PPS Assessment: COT OMRA
Revised Student Supervision Requirements • Line of sight supervision no longer required • State and Local Regs • Practice standards/Acts • For billing purposes, the student is considered an extension of the therapist.
Revised Student Supervision Requirements • APTA, AOTA, and ASHA have provided recommendations on student supervision guidelines. Their guidance is available on the SNF PPS website at: www.cms.gov/SNFPPS/Spotlight.asp
Student Supervision RequirementsASHA, AOTA and APTA Consolidated • Students who have been approved by the supervising therapist to practice independently in selected Pt situations can perform the selected clinical services without line of sight supervision. • Amount and type of supervision determined by the therapist must be appropriate for the student’s documented level of knowledge, experience and competence.
Student Supervision RequirementsASHA, AOTA and APTA Consolidated Students who have been approved by the supervising therapist to perform…….. • Can perform the selected services without line of sight supervision. • Supervising therapist must be physically present in the facility and immediately available to provide observation, guidance and feedback when the student is providing services • Supervising therapist is required to review and sign all students’ patient documentation for all levels of clinical experience and retains full responsibility for the care of the patient
Student Supervision RequirementsASHA, AOTA Consolidated • Students who have not been approved by the supervising SLP/OT to practice independently in selected patient situations: • Require line of sight supervision • Supervising therapist must have direct contact with the patient during each visit
Coding Student Supervision Code as individual therapy when: • The therapist or student is treating one resident, and • The other is not treating or supervising any other residents or assistants or students
Coding Student Supervision Code as concurrent therapy when: • The therapist and student are each treating one resident, and neither is treating or supervising any other residents or students or assistants, or • The therapist is treating 2 residents while the student is not treating any residents, or • The student is treating two residents, and the therapist is not treating any residents or supervising any other students or assistants.
Group Therapy and Student Supervision • The time for a group session may only be counted if the full group is being run by either the supervising therapist or the student, while the other may not be supervising any other students or assistants or treating residents. • If the therapist and the student each treat two of the four residents, the time may not be counted.
Recommendations for Implementation of Student Supervision Changes • PTA supervising a PTA student • OTA supervising an OTA student. • Structured approval • Documentation of the basis for approval • Documentation of measures considered for approval
New MDS Assessment Schedule • Effective for all assessments with an ARD which falls on or after October 1, 2011 • Purposes: • Reduce overlap between look back periods. • Reduce gap between look-back period and payment window. • Areas of change are the assessment reference window and the grace days.
Reduction in Potential ARD Window Overlap • Old • 5-day : ARD Day 8, Look-back Window: Days 2 – 8 • 14-day :ARD Day 11, Look-back Window: Days 5 – 11 • Overlap: Days 5 – 8 (four days) • New • 5-day: ARD Day 8, Look-back: Days 2 – 8 • 14-day :ARD Day 13, Look-back: Days 7 – 13 • Overlap: Days 7 – 8 (two days)
Reduction in ARD Look-Back Window Overlap • Old • 14-day ARD Day 19, Look-back Window: Days 13 - 19 • 30-day ARD Day 21, Look-back Window: Days 15 – 21 • Overlap: Days 15 – 19 (five days) • Longest time to payment window: 16 days • New • 14-day ARD Day 18, Window: Days 12 – 18 • 30-day ARD Day 27, Window: Days 21 – 27 • Overlap: None • Longest time to payment window: 10 days
Two Pitfalls for 14-Day Assessment on or after October 1, 2011 • If the ARD is set on day 19, you will get: • Penalty for late assessment • Must fill default RUG for Days 15 –18. • If the ARD is set on Day 12, you will get: • Penalty for early assessment • Must bill default RUG for first day of the nextpayment period (Day 15)
Pitfall: Loss of a Grace Day • Affects 14-day, 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day PPS assessments • Days 19, 34, 64, 94 are no longer grace days • An ARD on these days will be penalized because late • Solution: set ARD at least one day earlier
Implementation Suggestions • Identify all residents with ARD window that includes October 1, 2011 • Make sure ARD not later than day 18, 33, 63, or 93, as appropriate • If ARD will be day 19, 34, 64, or 94 on Oct. 1, set ARD date on Sept. 30 or earlier • Setting ARD on Sept. 30 or earlier also gets you the earlier start date for ARD window • Make sure key staff understand the changes
Combining Scheduled and Unscheduled Assessments • You must combine scheduled and unscheduled assessments if: • The ARD for the unscheduled assessment falls within the ARD window for the scheduled assessment, and • The scheduled assessment has not been completed • If both conditions are not met, you cannot combine them
Combining Scheduled and Unscheduled Assessments • When you combine scheduled and unscheduled assessments: • Use the Item Set for the scheduled assessment—it has more items • Use the ARD for the unscheduled assessment • Use the appropriate A1 code for the combination
Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes • Group therapy is defined as therapy provided to four patients (regardless of payer source) who are performing the same or similar activities. • Implemented 10/01/11 regardless of whether the look back period extends back before 10/01/11.
Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes Current OT Upper Extremity Tx Tues 9:00 to 10:00 am Participants include Mrs. A, Mr. B and Ms. C. Minutes: 60 minutes recorded and 60 minutes allocated for each one October 1, 2011 OT Upper Extremity Tx Tues 9:00 to 10:00 am Participants include Mrs. A, Mr. B and Ms. C. Minutes : 60 minutes recorded for each one, but zero minutes allocated !
Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes • All group therapy time reported on the MDS will be divided by four when determining each Patient’s RUG. • The 25% cap is still in effect • Implemented 10/01/11 regardless of whether the look back period preceded 10/01/11.
Documentation Requirements Ensure resident care follows a prescribed and documented plan of care Documentation in patient’s medical record should be sufficient to justify plan of care and to identify potential changes in patient’s medical condition. Skilled services, particularly therapy services, should be properly tailored to the individualized goals of the resident.
Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes Current • OT Upper Extremity Tx Tues 9:00 to 10:00 am Participants include Mrs. A, Mr. B, Ms. C. and Mr. D. • Minutes: • 60 minutes are recorded and 60 minutes are allocated for each of the four residents October 1, 2011 • OT Upper Extremity Tx Tues 9:00 to 10:00 am Participants include Mrs. A, Mr. B, Ms. C. and Mr. D • Minutes: • 60 minutes are recorded for each resident, but only 15 minutes are allocated for each resident. • A resident needs four hours of group Tx in order to be allocated 1hour
Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes • Scheduled group treatment of four patients performing the same or similar activities with unintentional or unavoidable reduction to three patients may be counted as group treatment. • Group treatment minutes will be divided by four when only three of the four scheduled Patients are able to partake in group tx.
Allocation of Group Therapy Minutes Planned/Scheduled: • OT Upper Extremity Tx Tues 9:00 to 10:00 am Participants include Mrs. A, Mr. B, Ms. C, and Mr. D • Minutes: 60 minutes are recorded for each resident, and 15 minutes are allocated to each resident: Unexpectedly Missed Tx: • OT Upper Extremity Tx Tues 9:00 to 10:00 am Participants include Mrs. A, Mr. B and Ms. C. Mr. D is not there. • Minutes: 60 minutes are recorded for the three participants, and they each are allocated 15 minutes Mr. D has no minutes recorded or allocated
ABN & End of Therapy OMRA • Do you have to give an ABN (advance beneficiary notice) whenever the resident goes without therapy for three consecutive days? Example: SNF does not provide therapy on weekend, and resident doesn’t feel up to therapy on Monday • Not unless you determine that the resident will not resume therapy or receive skilled nursing over the next several days
ABN & End of Therapy • Medicare has never required therapy seven days a week for Part A coverage (the beneficiary does not lose coverage because the SNF does not provide therapy on the weekends or holidays, for example) • Notices of Medicare non-coverage are not issued when care ends at the beneficiary’s initiative or for provider business reasons, such as the SNF’s decision not to offer therapy on certain days of the week
ABN & End of Therapy OMRA • If you are planning to end the Part A coverage: • Give the generic notice two days before • Give the ABN on last day of coverage • You may want to do an EOT if the resident appeals the generic notice or requests a demand bill
ABN & End of Therapy • If you expect the resident to resume therapy shortly, you should not end Part A coverage; you should complete the EOT • If you subsequently decide that Part A coverage is not warranted, give the generic notice two days in advance and then the ABN on the last day of Part A coverage
End of Therapy OMRA • Not a new PPS assessment • Three consecutive calendar days of treatment missed for any reason. (planned, unplanned, unavoidable) • EOT OMRA reclassifies into a non-therapy RUG • ARD for an EOT OMRA must be set for 1 to 3 days after the last therapy session • All facilities considered “7 day” SNFs, as of 10/1/11
End of Therapy – Resumption OMRA (EOT-R) • Reclassifies patient into the same therapy RUG they were in prior to the EOT • Therapy must be resumed within 5 calendar days of the last day of therapy provided • EOT-R must have an ARD on or after 10/1/2011 • Optional. Modifies the EOT assessment with two additional items to indicate therapy resumed • Advantage: No SOT and new therapy evaluation
End of Therapy OMRA ARD for EOT OMRA must be set for Day 1, 2, or 3 after the date of last therapy treatment Non-Rehab RUG payment begins on Day 1 or the day following the last day of therapy
End of Therapy OMRA • EOT-R Therapy resumes: • At the same level • Within 5 days of last therapy session
Creating the EOT-R • If the EOT OMRA has not been submitted and accepted when therapy resumes: • Code the EOT-R items (O0450A and O0450B) on the EOT assessment and submit the combined EOT/EOT-R record • Modify the EOT with the actual date of resumption of therapy services in item • If tx does not resume at same level with in 5 consecutive days, there is no option of completing the EOT-R. The only options remaining would be SOT OMRA and a new therapy eval or wait until the next scheduled assessment.
Creating the EOT-R • If the EOT OMRA without the EOT-R items has already been submitted and accepted: • Submit a modification request for that EOT OMRA • Complete the two EOT-R items • Check X0900E to indicate that the reason for modification is the addition of the resumption of therapy date.
Advantages of the EOT-R • The advantages of the EOT-R: • Start of Therapy (SOT) assessment not required • New therapy evaluation not required • New therapy plan not required • If therapy resumes after five days or at a different therapy RUG level: • EOT-R cannot be used • Complete SOT OMRA, new therapy evaluation and plan, or • Wait until next scheduled PPS assessment
EOT OMRA • Implementation Recommendations • Communicate expectations • Pt resuming at same level (--> EOT-R) • Pt resuming at different level (no EOT-R) • Pt not resuming plan of care (EOT or ABN) • We recommend that you complete EOT-R at same time as the EOT—but they should not have the same ARD date
Change of Therapy (COT) OMRA Problem: Assessments looked back to establish therapy RUGs, but therapy services were paid prospectively, regardless of whether they were delivered Purpose: To align the payment for therapy services with the services actually provided Process: Rolling seven-day therapy evaluation period, and completion of mandatory COT OMRA if the RUG class changes Result: Accurate payment for therapy services delivered
The COT OMRA • Evaluation required for any resident in a therapy RUG OR would be in one except for index maximization • The new class and payment rate are retroactive to the first day of the evaluation period on which the COT is based • This RUG class and rate continue until the next scheduled or unscheduled PPS assessment • Uses the MDS 3.0 OMRA (NO/SO) form
Change of Therapy (COT) OMRA ARD is day 0 Day 7 of the COT Observation Period demonstrates 740 min No COT Day 14 of the COT Observation Period demonstrates 736 min No COT Day 21 of the OCT Observation Period demonstrates 650 . COT is required and the observation period re-sets. Day 7 of the COT observation period demonstrate 780 min, hence a COT is required and the observation period resets. Day 7 of COT observation period shows 733 minutes, no action needed Day 7 of COT observation period demonstrates 830 min, no action is needed Day 21 of COT observation period demonstrates 621 min, a COT is required.
The COT OMRA • What factors can change the therapy RUG? • Change in reimbursable minutes • Change in number of therapies • Change in days of therapy • Change in days of rehab nursing • The key question is whether the COT evaluation produces a change in the payment RUG class • If payment RUG class changes, COT OMRA is required
Observation Periods for the COT OMRA • General rule: The COT evaluation period starts the day after the most recent ARD and runs for seven days • Example: 14-day assessment with ARD on day 13 establishes therapy RUG. • COT evaluation period starts on day 14 and ends on day 20 • If RUG class changes, complete COT OMRA with new rate effective as of day 14 • If no change, no COT required and next evaluation period is days 21-27
Special Considerations for the COT • If the COT evaluation reveals that a different RUG class is appropriate, you may have to combine the COT with another assessment • Remember, you must combine scheduled and unscheduled assessments if: • The ARD for the unscheduled assessment falls within the ARD window for the scheduled assessment, and • The scheduled assessment has not been completed
Special Considerations for the COT • There is an exception to the general rule regarding the first day of the COT evaluation period • If you complete the EOT-R, the evaluation period begins the day therapies resume • Example: • Last day of therapy is day 31 and EOT ARD is day 33 • Therapy resumes on day 35 • Evaluation period starts on day 35 and goes thru day 41
The COT Evaluation • The COT evaluation is an informal evaluationwith no specific form required • You need to consider the following factors: • The resident’s total “Reimbursable Therapy Minutes” (RTMs), which are the minutes after allocation • The number of therapy days • The number of therapy disciplines • Restorative nursing for residents in a Rehab Low class • The rehab RUG classes have not changed
Index Maximization and the COT OMRA • Index maximization means that if the resident qualifies for more than one RUG class, the resident is “maximized” into the RUG with the highest payment rate • If the COT therapy evaluation would change the therapy RUG class, you need to consider index maximization • If your current RUG payment for a nursing RUG is higher than for the new therapy RUG, no COT is required • If the payment for the new therapy RUG is higher than the existing RUG payment, you must complete the COT OMRA
Examples of Index Maximization • Resident qualifies for RMC but index maximizes into LE2. • During the COT observation period, resident receives only enough therapy to qualify for RLB. • COT OMRA not required because no change to the index maximized RUG • Resident qualifies for RMC but index maximizes into LE2. • During the COT observation period, resident receives enough therapy to qualify for RUB. • COT OMRA is required because of change to the index maximized RUG