Question: Can IV chemotherapy be excluded from consolidated billing during a Part A stay? Answer from Jennifer LaBay, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, CRC: Exclusion for chemotherapy is based on the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code as long as the chemotherapy is not delivered in the SNF. You certainly can …
Question: I have always thought that delivery of the SNF ABN (CMS – 10055) notice offers the Medicare recipient the opportunity to pay for the Medicare Part A services being cut. I was told the cost should only include the daily bed rate. How should I explain this notice to …
Question: If a resident revokes hospice services, does the ARD need to be scheduled to avoid coding hospice in O0110K? Answer from Carol Maher, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-MTA, RAC-MT, CPC: The Significant Change in Status Assessment (SCSA) to come off hospice must be completed within 14 days of the end of …
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a one-page resource to help providers determine when an OBRA Discharge assessment is required under the MDS 3.0 RAI User’s Manual. The fact sheet outlines key discharge criteria, including hospital admissions, observation stays greater than 24 hours, and discharges to …
The Dementia Physician Query tool supports accurate clinical documentation by helping providers clarify the type, severity, and associated manifestations of a resident’s dementia diagnosis using information documented in the medical record. The tool also allows providers to identify when diagnostic details, including dementia type, severity, or behavioral manifestations, are unknown …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Showing appreciation for nursing staff doesn’t have to be defined by the size of an organization’s budget. What’s important is the thoughtfulness behind the recognition. In a profession characterized by long shifts, emotional demands, and constant change, meaningful …
Members: Free | Non-members: $119Continuing Education: 1 CEDate: July 30, 2026Time: 2 pm ET, 1 pm CT, Noon MT, 11am PTDuration: 60 minutesSpeaker: Lauren Stenson, DNP, RN, CNDLTC, QCP, DNS-CT Surveyors are not the enemy, fear is. When staff panic, mistakes multiply and confidence fades. Join AAPACN curriculum development specialist, …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Aggressive behavior in residents is rarely random. It is often a response to an underlying cause or unmet need. To respond effectively, nursing staff must look beyond the behavior itself and consider the factors that may be contributing …
In this LTC DON Chat podcast episode, Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, chief nursing officer for AAPACN, and Michelle Stuercke, RN, MSN, DNP, MPA, LNHA, QCP, chief clinical officer with TCM consulting and management, discuss how to manage behavioral health issues in the nursing home.
Podcast (ltc_don_chat): Play in new window | Download (Duration: 15:19 — 9.2MB) | Embed
The October 1, 2026 diagnosis code update files are now available. Use these files for discharges occurring from October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027 and for patient encounters occurring from October 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027. The 2027 ICD-10-CM & PCS files section below contains information on the …
