Medicare coverage for maintenance therapy in the post-acute world has been unclear, causing improper documentation and reimbursement for home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), outpatient therapy, and rehabilitation facilities. This guide contains both regulatory information and analysis as well as hands-on, practical advice for care and documentation. Advice given is specific to each post-acute care setting. The guide also features tips from consultants, tools from the Center of Medicare Advocacy and information from CMS, downloadable materials, and sample forms and worksheets for easy comprehension of information. This book ensures Medicare coverage by: - Guiding providers through the documentation process related to maintenance therapy - Explaining how to document at key instances - Tips for defending medical necessity - Providing practical advice and information on how to identify patients who require maintenance therapy, conduct patient assessments, and write goals After reading this book, readers will be able to: - Understand the proper use of maintenance therapy - Identify when and how to document care as maintenance therapy - Determine which patients qualify as needing maintenance therapy - Plan and assess care of maintenance therapy patients - Document maintenance therapy with confidence - Use the tools provided to help with comprehension and documentation
About the Author: Cindy Krafft, PT, MS, has more than 20 years of home health expertise that ranges from direct patient care to operational and management issues. For the past 10 years, she has been a nationally recognized educator in the areas of documentation, regulation, therapy utilization, and OASIS. Krafft has been involved at the senior leadership level for the Home Health Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and is the current president of that organization. She has been working with APTA and CMS to clarify regulatory expectations and address proposed payment methodologies to ensure the long-term participation of therapy services in home health. Krafft has written two books: "The How-to Guide to Home Health Therapy Documentation" and "An Interdisciplinary Approach to Home Care."
Diana L. Kornetti, PT, MA, a physical therapist for 30 years, is a former co-owner and administrator of a Medicare-certified home health agency in Florida and is the chief operations officer of Kornetti & Krafft Health Care Solutions. Kornetti is nationally recognized as a teacher and speaker in the areas of home health care, standardized tests and measures in the field of physical therapy, therapy training, and home health staff development. She has been an active member of APTA since 1986 and is its current Home Health Section program chair; immediate past editor of the "Quarterly Report," a publication of the organization s Home Health Section; and a member of APTA s Practice and Education committees. Kornetti also serves as the president of the Association of Homecare Coding and Compliance, and is a member of the Association of Home Care Coders Advisory Board and Panel of Experts."