Provider Questions

Test Your Knowledge Questions:

1) If a home health agency is not able to complete a re-certification assessment during the recertification 5-day window due to the patient being out of town with family or a similar circumstance, should the agency discharge the patient and complete a new start of care upon patient’s return home or is it allowed to complete a “delayed” recertification outside the window? 

2) If the patient was admitted with one primary condition/reason for home health that subsequently resolved but the patient was recertified for another episode of care and continues to receive home health services now due to another condition (e.g. patient was admitted for care post cardiac surgery but developed a wound and requires wound care at home), is it appropriate for the agency to do a discharge and then a new admission related to a new diagnosis/reason for home health? 

3) What is the difference between the ‘initial assessment’ and the ‘comprehensive assessment?’ 

4) Doing an NPE for an LTC resident and Items A2121 and A2122 - are open.

How do we answer that question IF the resident is staying -- not being discharged to another provider?