CMS Regs in 2019: Three Things You Need to Know
Each year, CMS releases new regulations and policy changes. Our financial team offers three things all outpatient hospital wound care teams need to know.
Wound Care Weekly: OIG Finds 92% Overpayment for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
The OIG released the results of a MAC audit report on Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) services. Based on the sample charts, they estimated there were over $39 million in HBOT overpayments for the sample year alone in this jurisdiction.
Five New Regulations to Watch for in 2018: CMS Reimbursement
Fall brings vibrant colors, homemade chili, championship baseball – and new CMS regulations for reimbursement! In reviewing upcoming changes for 2018, here are five takeaways that wound centers need to be aware of.
A Breath Of Fresh Air: The Innovation of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
By Melissa Bailey, Director of Education Sometimes medicine is birthed in the most unlikely of places. Studying the lives of milkmaids helped Edward Jenner discover the smallpox vaccine. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) owes its roots to a doctor who noticed that patients with heart disease had better outcomes when they lived closer to sea level than … Continued
A little protein goes a long way!
By Melissa Bailey, Director of Education We keep seeing more studies that relate nutrition (or lack thereof) to chronic wounds. Today, let’s quickly unpack one specific nutrient that makes a huge difference in the healing rates of chronic wounds: proteins! Proteins are large molecules made up of smaller units called amino acids. Combined in various ways, … Continued
“Oh maggot where art thou?” A quick history and update on Maggot Therapy
By Melissa Bailey, Director of Education Upon working in the chronic wound industry, people either loved talking to me at dinner parties or ran in the other direction! If I’m honest, I, too, realize that words like debridement and slough don’t make for good table conversation. By far, the area of wound care that solicits the … Continued
Teach simply, not simplistically!
By Melissa Bailey, Education Director Whenever I drop my car off at the auto body shop the conversation with my mechanic usually goes something like this: “My car is making a funny noise. It sounds like something is dangling.” “A funny noise, huh? Like metal scraping against metal?” “No, not really.” “Okay, how about when … Continued
Wound Care Progam Proformas
“Care. Compliance. Cash.” When I started in the medical world over 20 years ago, the first hospital CEO I worked with told me that; ” In hospitals, care should be your first priority, followed very closely by being fanatically compliant, and when those two things are done, keep your eye on the cash flow so … Continued
Medicare’s EHR program…a win-win for all.
The WCA’s customized electronic health record (Provided by NetHealth) has received full certification as a Complete EHR(Electronic Health Record) by the Drummond Group, as an ONC-ATCB approved testing entity. By meeting the 2011/2012 criteria, our Electronic Medical Record system supports the Stage One Meaningful Use measures required for eligible providers to qualify for funding under … Continued
Value Based Purchasing and Wound Care
Holy Mackerel! Do you realize that in less than two weeks, two “final rules” have been released by the US Department of Health and Human Services which will have more of an impact on the entire hospital industry than all of the final rules released in the last ten years combined? OK, that could could … Continued