Welcome to the HealthPRO Heritage Blog

HealthPRO Heritage has pulled together what promises to be a rich discussion between several thought-leaders to share perspective & best practices developed thus far in the response efforts to COVID-19. This is in collaboration with: CliftonLarsonAllen, MatrixCare, Johnson Kendall & Johnson, Net Health, and Ziegler. 

Skilled nursing facility operators must recognize that partnerships with hospitals have never been more important than now. HealthPRO Heritage offers strategy & tangible resources to support efforts to collaborate with local hospitals amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

1. New Survey Guidance
In response to the national emergency declaration as a result of COVID-19, CMS has recently issued a new memorandum to State Survey Agency Directors. For a 3-week time period only, beginning 3/20/20, the following survey types will be prioritized:

Currently home health agencies are fighting to stay productive and profitable in the PDGM operating environment, now compounded by the COVID-19 national emergency. While this week’s CMS COVID-19 rulings feature many great new proposals, home health agencies may remain feeling somewhat puzzled about the practical implications of what was actually released. HealthPRO-Heritage is here to help break down the confusion. The below chart provides insight on what these new proposals actually mean for home health agencies going forward. Here is what we know so far:

Senior Living communities must recognize that partnerships with local hospitals & SNFs have never been more important. HealthPRO Heritage offers strategy & tangible resources to support Senior Living Leaders' efforts to collaborate with hospital and SNF partners during the COVID-19 crisis.

Did you miss NetHealth’s webinar last weeK? The topic resonated with the industry; 2000+ providers registered to attend + ~75 questions logged during the FAQ. 

Discussion focused on the advantages of / and considerations for multiple Medicare Part B service models:  in-clinic; at home; virtual visits.

Here are the highlights!

CMS provided notice of the expansion of its Accelerated and Advanced Payment Program for qualifying Medicare participating providers to ensure liquidity throughout the COVID-19 crisis. The Program enables qualifying Medicare providers to receive an advance worth 3 months of average billings.

Fifteen-year home health therapist and Vice President of Clinical Strategies for HealthPRO Heritage at Home, Jason L. Sasser, shares best practices and perspective on what the COVID-19 crisis means for home health providers during his interview for The Strategy Academy podcast series. Highlights from that discussion are summarized here:

The National Association of Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) has released preliminary data specific to the early PDGM claims and trends. This is our first opportunity to be able to begin benchmarking performance compared to the trends that are occurring across the industry. Below you will find various different metrics that can be used to compare your agency performance under PDGM to the national averages of claims data submitted thus far. 

Our nation’s leaders are taking steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by issuing local, state, and federal measures. It’s important for the healthcare industry to understand what’s being recommended to protect and serve residents and patients. To that end, HealthPRO Heritage summarizes the differences between quarantine, isolation, shelter in place, and stay at home orders + what these measures mean for staff and patients.