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OIG Report Released Regarding Nursing Homes in Pennsylvania

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) posted a report on 11/8/2023 that was rather concerning.  The report was entitled “Pennsylvania Could Better Ensure That Nursing Homes Comply with Federal Requirements for Life Safety, Emergency Preparedness, and Infections Control”.   What is Concerning About this Report? There were a high number of deficiencies identified in the areas of life safety, emergency preparedness, and infection control in the 20 facilities that were selected for survey out of the…

Internal vs. External Audits: Best Practice Guidance

Donald Rumsfeld once said, “You don’t know what you don’t know” – a quote that holds true when it comes to decision-making for internal versus external audits. The underlying meaning of this quote can be applied when it comes to managing your Compliance Program risks. When you are deciding to outsource your audits or not, one of the primary considerations for performing internal audits is probably cost. You already have staff who are on payroll;…

ICD-10-CM and PDPM ICD-10 Mapping: What’s new for Fiscal Year 2024?

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reviews and updates ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting on an annual basis to ensure accurate and consistent coding practices. These guidelines are applicable starting from October 1, 2023, and ending on September 30, 2024. The update includes the addition, revision, and deletion of diagnosis codes as well as updates to diagnosis coding guidance. The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) implemented on October 1, 2019, has been…