|
Mar 06
2012
|
Health care reform will change referral relationships. So to protect your Medicare referrals in the future, start communicating your clinical capabilities and successful outcomes to referral sources, physicians and consumers right now. This will enhance your image as a provider of superior short term rehabilitation and sub-acute care and help to maintain or increase your Medicare revenues.
|
Feb 07
2012
|
Achieving successful outcomes [1] and letting all your referral sources know about them is one of the best ways to increase your Medicare referrals in 2012. This year, hospitals will be making important decisions about who to partner with, especially as the ACO issue heats up. Successful outcomes and high satisfaction levels will be rewarded with more high reimbursement referrals.
For ways to promote your outcomes CLICK HERE
[1] For example: Your percentage of short term rehab patients that return home, satisfaction survey results, average rehab LOS, numbers of cases treated by diagnosis, re-hospitalization rate, etc.
|
Jan 10
2012
|
Perhaps the most important lesson learned from 2011 is the need to maintain a positive attitude and continue to focus on ways to increase referrals, admissions, revenues and profitability. For example, here are five areas you can focus on immediately:
|
Dec 06
2011
|
Compensate for the recent 11.1% Medicare cuts and Medicaid rate reductions by attracting the right referrals. Are you doing all you can to attract the cases with higher reimbursement that contribute to higher CMI scores? Click here for LTC Best Practices for attracting higher revenue referrals.
|
Nov 01
2011
|
One immediate way you can offset cuts and increase revenue is to reduce your re-hospitalizations, thereby increasing retention, LOS and census. To significantly improve the results of your re-hospitalization efforts, focus on two areas of opportunity:
|
Oct 04
2011
|
Reducing re-hospitalizations can increase referrals but only if referral sources know you are focused on this important issue. Keep them informed about your program’s results and you will gain a competitive advantage over other facilities for Medicare Part A referrals. The more you communicate with referral sources to keep them aware of your efforts to reduce re-hospitalizations, the better.
|
Sep 06
2011
|
All staff can be a partner in reducing re-hospitalizations by being trained to immediately inform their supervisor of a change in a resident’s condition. Reinforce your staff training by posting “reminders” throughout the building and be sure to make this a focus in all your staff meetings.
Click here to see a sample poster to reinforce this message with staff.
|
Aug 02
2011
|
Recent studies show that 33% to 50% of SNF resident hospitalizations are the result of family demands. Educate family members that:
Click here to see a family education pamphlet on reducing hospitalizations as well as other educational materials.
|
Jul 05
2011
|
The pending financial penalties facing hospitals on Medicare Part-A re-admissions means referral sources will prefer to refer to SNF’s that are focused on reducing re-hospitalizations. A basic retention program can not only reduce re-hospitalizations, but also deliver real increases in LOS and census.
|
Jun 07
2011
|
Adults age 55+ are generally the “decision-maker” for LTC placement and are the fastest growing segment of Internet users, with over 80% using the Internet to research health and LTC information. Your website is the window to this opportunity. Make sure it’s designed by LTC experts to communicate effectively with all LTC stakeholders… is easy to navigate, provides information about all your care services and highlights your credibility on the home page.
