Are your vendors prepared for ICD-10?

Are your vendors prepared for ICD-10? 

This question may be on your mind lately, which is a good thing. Making sure your vendors are prepared for ICD-10 is crucial and should be as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, many home care professionals can’t say that their vendors are prepared and ready for ICD-10. When we asked this question during our ICD-10 survey at the 2011 NAHC Annual Show, nearly half (46%) said “no” or “not sure” if their vendors are prepared.

We need to get this number way down. Talking to your vendors is one of the first things you should do in your ICD-10 planning to make for a smooth transition.

When you ask your vendors (point of care, EHR, billing, etc.) what they are doing to prepare, they should be able to tell you their clear plan leading up to implementation and how they will support you during the transition. If they cannot, you may want to consider an alternative vendor.

CMS has provided more detail on what specifics you should discuss with your vendors here.

And check out our helpful list of 9 other things you should be doing now to make for smooth transition.

Defining Homebound

With many conflicting ideas,  interpretations, and vague guidance, determining if a patient is homebound can often be challenging.

Some will automatically assume a patient is not homebound if they hear they drove or left the house. But this isn’t necessarily true. A December 2010 survey we conducted to test home care professionals knowledge of homebound confirmed this notion. We found many people jumped to the conclusion that a patient was not homebound if they left the house for any reason or drove. 

Home care professionals are doing patients a disservice by not knowing the proper homebound definition. With a clearer understanding of what it is, patients can get the care they really need.

We shared Medicare’s specific homebound definition previously on our blog here. In summary, just because a patient leaves the house, or even drives, it does not mean they are not homebound. For one, any excursions related to medical appointments or religious activities cannot be taken in consideration  to a patient’s homebound status. Also, it says that a person is homebound if leaving “requires a considerable and taxing effort.” So perhaps they did drive to the grocery store, but if it took them 30 minutes to get into the car and needed the assistance of a friend or relative, they may be homebound.

The problem arises is how do you prove a “considerable and taxing effort”? The answer is documentation. Instead of saying it was difficult for a patient to get around the house, you can be more specific and say the patient was “unable to ambulate more than 100 feet without having to rest.” Its all opinions until you give quantities and specifics and even then you may still have a patient who is on the fence because there are not specific guidelines on what physical limitations qualify  someone homebound There will be some judgment calls. But with documentation which quantifies the physical or sometimes mental limitations you then have  proper documentation to back it up your decision.

Understanding homebound status will not only help us provide better care for in-need patients, but it will also save money in the long run. For example, if a patient is disqualified from homebound status, then they must leave the house frequently to receive all care and/or they miss critical appointments, which can cause them to take a downturn and end up in a hospital or nursing home. This would be much more expensive than if they got their care in the home and were able to heal there.

If you still have questions about homebound status, please contact us at nick [at] daymarck.com.

‘Tis the Season! Help us give to the Caring Institute.

Happy Holidays! 

Daymarck is celebrating this holiday season by donating $1 to the Caring Institute for every new Facebook fan or Twitter follower. With a simple click of your mouse you can stay connected with Daymarck in the new year and spread the spirit of giving by supporting this nonprofit’s cause. What a win-win!

To help us donate to the Caring Institute:

•   Like us on Facebook and while you’re there take a moment to tell us what you think about Daymarck.
• Follow us on Twitter where we are updating you about industry issues like ICD-10 conversation daily.

Stay connected with us and help us to support the Caring Institute today.

Happy Holidays!

About the Caring Institute

The Caring Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1985 to honor and promote the values of caring, integrity, and public service. Inspired by the example of Mother Teresa, the institute believes most problems can be solved if human beings truly care for one another. We celebrate those special individuals who transcend self and devote their lives to serving the disadvantaged, poor, disabled, and dying. Their enduring dedication to caring uplifts us all and ennobles the human race.

Join our team! 16 Positions Available

We are experiencing rapid growth here at Daymarck, and are seeking talented professionals to join our team. We have 16 full-time job openings, most of which are work from home, in the following positions:


Medical Coder (8 FT positions available)

Job Description Abstracts clinical information from a variety of medical records, charts and documents and assigns and sequences appropriate ICD-9-CM diagnosis to provide recommendations to customers based on their supplied documentation. Audits medical records to ensure compliance with the customer's coding procedures and standards. Relies on limited experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks. Works under general supervision from home. A certain degree of creativity and latitude is required. Reports to Coding Manager.

Requirements Requires HCS-D certification and COS-C is preferred. Two years experience in coding and/or working in homecare setting preferred. Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field.

Coding Compliance Specialist (4 FT positions available)

Job Description Audits medical records to ensure compliance with the customer’s coding procedures and standards. May require reviewing insurance payments and denials and providing recommends for documentation corrections. May require training customer’s staff members on proper coding and OASIS documentation processes. Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Relies on limited experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks. Works under general supervision from home. A certain degree of creativity and latitude is required. Reports to Coding Manager.

Requirements Requires HCS-D and COS-C certification. Four years experience in coding or medical records preferred.

Health Information Services Director (1 FT position available)

Job Description Directs and oversees all policies and procedures related to healthcare information management. Responsible for ensuring accuracy and efficiency in the medical records and transcription departments. Reviews processes and identifies areas for improvement taking into account user needs. May act as liaison between information services and technology department, ensuring that systems are accessible and in accordance with the needs of the organization. Ensures that all record keeping and information disbursement complies with HIPAA regulations. Familiar with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures. Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of complex tasks. Leads and directs the work of others. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is required. Reports to top management.

Requirements Requires a bachelor's degree in area of specialty and at least 10 years of experience in the field or in a related area.

Receptionist/Data Entry Clerk (1 FT position available)

Job Description Looking for an outgoing individual that possesses excellent customer service skills and is detail oriented. Interpersonal skills and professional appearance a must. Responsible for general receptionist duties such as greeting customers, answering phone, routing calls, filing, data entry etc.

Requirements Requires a high school diploma or its equivalent with preferred experience in the field or a related area. Previous healthcare experience preferred but not required. Alphanumeric Data Entry and Excel 2010 tests required to apply and available through Job Service.

Health Information Management Clerk (1 FT position available)

Job Description Looking for a self-motivated individual that is detail-oriented. Excellent computer skills a must. Responsible for various data entry tasks including organizing and evaluating patient medical records and reviewing medical records for accuracy and completeness. Reviews and maintains orders, invoices and records to ensure accuracy. Has knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within the healthcare field.

Requirements Requires a high school diploma or its equivalent. Alphanumeric Data Entry and Excel 2010 tests required to apply and available through Job Service.

Coding Manager (1 FT position available)

Job Description Supervises Medical Coders and Coding Compliance Specialist and trains employees to ensure that the customers receive appropriate reimbursement and conforms to applicable guidelines and regulations. Ensures the accuracy and timeliness of the coding process. Direct liaison between customers and medical coders. Familiar with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures. Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks. Leads and directs the work of others. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected. Reports to top management.

Requirements Requires HCS-D certification and COS-C is preferred. Knowledge in ICD-9 and OASIS conventions. At least 4 years of experience in a related field.

Send all resumes to HR@Daymarck.com. Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you! 

How will ICD-10 affect productivity?

We’re back with more insights gleaned from our ICD-10 survey administered around the 2011 NAHC Annual Show.

Daymarck's Carie Wright (right)
surveying a home care professional
at NAHC 2011 in October.

One of our survey questions asked if you thought ICD-10 conversion would cause a decrease in productivity. 57% answered yes. And the average response of how long this decrease would last was 7 months.

The impact on productivity is one of, if not THE, biggest challenge of ICD-10 conversion. While there will be an initial learning curve and a need for a culture change that requires more specificity and communication, the impact on productivity can be minimized with proper planning and preparedness.

Agencies that have prepared for conversion well in advance should actually see a minimal impact on productivity. If an agency waits to the last minute however, this decrease can last even more than 7 months.

To help make sure you have a smooth transition with little impact on productivity, we’ve developed a helpful list of 10 things you should be doing now to prepare.

Daymarck Will Be At Home Care 100 In February

We are proud to announce we will be attending the 10^th annual Home Care 100 Executive Management Conference as executive level partners of the four-day event. The conference, which will take place in Orlando, Fla. from Feb. 4-7, 2012, is an invitation-only gathering of leading home health care and hospice executives from across the country.

As a growing medical coding company, we are excited to join together with some of the top minds in home care to learn from one another and to discuss the future of the industry. We are also ready to embark on what we hope will be, a long-lasting relationship with Home Care 100.

This year the conference’s educational program is designed to explore innovative ways to improve patient care, strategize a plan to remain successful in this tough economy, and talk about topics we at Daymarck work to address on a daily basis – how to prepare for upcoming changes, such as ICD-10.

Be sure to check back for updates during and after the conference. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to stay up to date. 

Congratulations to Home Care's Elite

This year's HomeCare Elite™, an annual list of the most successful home care providers in the country, was recently announced.

The Daymarck team would like to congratulate the many agencies who were recognized this year, many of which are Daymarck customers. In fact, we're proud to have worked with 24 of these leading agencies over the past year:

ABBOTT HOME CARE, INC	COAL GROVE	OH
ABLE HOME HEALTH, LLC	ROCKFORD	IL
ACCENTCARE HOME HEALTH OF CALIFORNIA, INC	FOSTER CITY	CA
BG HOME HEALTH PROVIDERS, LLC	BUFFALO GROVE	IL
CARE AT HOME	PAYETTE	ID
COMMUNITY HOME HEALTH INC	SANTA BARBARA	CA
FORUM HEALTH CARE	NORTHBROOK	IL
GIRLING HEALTH CARE	OELWEIN	IA
GIRLING HEALTH CARE	DEWITT	IA
GIRLING HEALTH CARE	CHAPMANVILLE	WV
GIRLING HEALTH CARE INC	CLEARWATER	FL
GIRLING HEALTH CARE INC	NORTH RIVERSIDE	IL
GIRLING HEALTH CARE INC	EASTLAND	TX
GIRLING HEALTH CARE INC	FORT WORTH	TX
GIRLING HEALTH CARE, INC	OKLAHOMA CITY	OK
HARRISON HOME HEALTH	BREMERTON	WA
HEALTHCONNECT AT HOME	LINCOLN	NE
HERITAGE HEALTH CARE SERVICES	INDEPENDENCE	OH
HUDSON VALLEY HOME CARE CHHA	POUGHKEEPSIE	NY
JAMESTOWN HOSP HOME HEALTH AGENCY	JAMESTOWN	ND
KETTERING NETWORK HOME CARE	DAYTON	OH
PREMIER HOME HEALTH INC	THAYNE	WY
REVOLUTIONARY HOME HEALTH SVC, LLC	ALLENTOWN	PA
UNC HOME HEALTH	CHAPEL HILL	NC

These agencies represent the top 25% in quality of care, process measure implementation and financial performance. That is no small achievement!