If you were thinking that your home health agency would not have to worry about face to face encounters post CMS’s announcement in the last Open Door Forum that they did not apply to agencies, well you better think again.

The health care reform legislation signed into law in March actually needs face to face encounters for both HHAs and hospices as well as durable medical equipment (DME). According to law, the encounter must occur in the six months prior to certification for HHA services, however leaves it up to the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a reasonalbe timeframe.

What’s more, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) makes the requirement retroactive to January 1 for HHAs. People are writing to CMS about having the date delayed until rule, comments, final rule and guidance are issued.

The hospice requirement will take effect on January 1, 2011. It’s being said that it will issue its regulations about that in the home health prospective payment system proposed rule this year.

CMS staff mentioned the hospice provision in the forum as that provision needs HHS to define attestation procedures.

To learn more about home health coding and all the changes in store for you, sign up for a home health audio conference. When you sign up for one, you’ll get all information on face to face requirement, what you need to have to get paid and how to get the doctors to respond to the requirement. Onboard such a conference, you can also identify and fix the most common problem areas in home health, nursing home and facility relationships.

The best part of attending such a home health coding conference is that you can attend them from the comforts of your own office or meeting room. In fact, you can even choose to attend the home health series, which will certainly facilitate your practice. And to cap it all, you even stand to acquire CEUs on attending one.