INSIGHTS

Practical guidance on the rules that govern you

Briefs written for administrators, directors of nursing, and MDS coordinators. Short, specific, and tied to the citation or code that matters.

SURVEY READINESS

Reading F740 the way a surveyor reads it

F740 does not ask whether you contracted for behavioral health services. It asks whether the resident received them. Here is how that distinction shows up in a citation.

DOCUMENTATION

What MDS Section D is missing in most facilities

Mood interview data is routinely under captured, which understates acuity and depresses PDPM classification. The fix is a workflow change, not a coding change.

BILLING

Which behavioral health codes are excluded from consolidated billing

Psychotherapy and psychological testing sit outside Part A consolidated billing. Understanding that boundary is the difference between billable work and absorbed cost.

CREDENTIALING

CAA 2023 §4121 and the clinicians you can now enroll

As of January 1, 2024, LMFTs and LMHCs may enroll as Medicare providers. What that means for your staffing model and your pro forma.

QUALITY MEASURES

Building a GDR program that survives its first year

Most gradual dose reduction efforts fade after the first quarter. The programs that last share four structural traits, none of which are clinical.

OPERATIONS

Involuntary holds without the census damage

A behavioral escalation does not have to end in a transfer. On site assessment capability changes the decision tree and the outcome.

STAY CURRENT

Regulatory changes reach your building before they reach your policy manual

Ask us about a quarterly briefing for your leadership team.