The Academy of Senior Health Sciences, Inc. (formerly The Ohio Academy of Nursing Homes, Inc.) represents the interests of long-term care providers. Our membership represents a true cross-section of the skilled nursing facility profession, from small sole proprietorships to larger Ohio-based multi-facility companies, as well as those businesses that service our membership. The Academy brings the collective influences of the members together into a single voice on vital issues affecting our profession.

What's New: January 27, 2012

NEW 2012 education program coming in March! How to survive the new quality add-ons  — The Academy is finalizing an education program for the first week in March that will give you the tools you need to ensure success in this new environment. This program will feature industry experts that will help you navigate the maze of new regulations. Watch your email and The Weekly for more information. Possible convention? Let us know!  — The Academy is considering having a small convention this fall in Columbus. We need YOUR input on this event to determine topics, social events and length. This is your opportunity to shape your event, so take advantage! Please take a few minutes to complete a short survey by going to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/N3TSBJY. ODJFS continues work on billing issues  —  The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) said they continue to work on billing issues related to MITS and 5010 at the latest Medicaid Initiative meeting this week: HIPPA Version 5010 billing changes: The delayed release of information on how to bill dates of service and reporting patient liability under HIPPA Version 5010 may have caused error in vendor payments. The instructions were released in January and many billing companies may not have calculated claims correctly especially as it relates to patient liability. Providers may be overpaid and should monitor their Medicaid payments. Waiver recipients and leave days: ODJFS said they are reviewing the policy on leave days and waiver recipients. Current rule exempts waiver recipients that are in a NF for respite care from leave days. ODJFS is not sure if that is correct interpretation of the rule and is reviewing the rules and policies before making changes to the MITS system. COLA adjustment and 9401s: ODJFS agreed to review the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) report provided by the county to see if it would suffice for patient liability calculations instead of requiring a new 9401 for each resident. Many counties do not have the resources to redo the 9401s which are required for audit purposes. Part-B co-insurance for therapy: ODJFS agrees that providers should be paid the Part-B co-insurance for outpatient therapy. They are not aware of any problems with how the billing system is set-up for the crossover payment; however, ODJFS encourages providers with problems to contact ODJFS with the ICNs that are not paying properly. Other issues: ODJFS continues to work on other MITS issues raised by the Medicaid Initiative. ODJFS noted that they meet monthly with the contractor (HP) to get the status on current fixes and prioritize the list. For more information, please contact Chris Murray. Click Here to read The Academy Weekly in PDF format