Text Box: Overall things are running smoothly with the new admission packet. However, I would like to point out the places that need to be signed and filled out. The Home Health Advance Beneficiary Notice needs to be signed if Medicare will discontinue services or will not pay for services. The Appointment of Representative needs to be signed if there are problems for us to get paid by Medicare or Medicaid. In the Booklet, the Emergency Plan needs to be Text Box: filled out as follows: Name of the patient Extra Emergency numbers Name of Physician and phone number Name of close relative or friend and phone number Hospital and phone number Also in the booklet, fill out pages 29 (Admission Consent) and 30 (New Patient Information). Have the patient sign page 29 and Text Box: don’t forget all information on page 30, especially next of kin. This sheet tears out from the booklet and should be returned with all other information to the office after admission. If you need to communicate with persons that are not part of the regular care team, you will need to fill out the Patient Authorization Form (page 31) and have the patient sign it; we will make a copy and mail to the patient for their records. Remember that the admission packet saves us time only if used properly! Text Box: If the interpreter is a friend or family member of the patient, you have to make sure that the patient does not object to and is comfortable with the fact that that person will have knowledge of his or her condition. However, don’t forget to document on your notes that an interpreter was present and that the patient had verbally agreed to the process. Put the name, relationship to the patient and contact number of the interpreter for later reference. Text Box: The department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR), responsible for the enforcement of the Privacy Rule, clarifies the answer by saying that “if an interpreter is a member of a health care provider’s work force, either paid or volunteer, no authorization is required from the patient.” Likewise if a third-party interpreter services is used, no authorization should be necessary as long as the agency as a Business Associate agreement with the service provider. Text Box: OCR stresses the fact that the interpretation of the law should be made to avoid creating barriers to the delivery of health care services, and this the message that is often lost in translation! Text Box: Admission packet reminder Text Box: Do I Need an authorization when I use an interpreter?

“… don’t forget to document the presence of an interpreter…”
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Volume 1, issue 2