changing oasis date on therapy only cases

[Sunset17]

I recently started working for a home health company. I am still in orientation and overall they seem to follow cms rules and regulations. However when it comes to completing the soc and dc oasis on therapy only cases they change the assessment date to match that of when therapy did their oasis. They justify it by saying the nursing visits are not billable anyway.

Isn' t there some sort of a window that would allow nursing to complete their oasis assessment on a different date? Is this common? Is this legit or should I find new employment?

[Libby1987]

I'm not exactly sure the question so don't know if this will help but..

The assessment date is the date all info has been collected including MD approval of the POC. There is a 5 day window from SOC and the SOC clinician can collaborate with other disciplines who performed their assessment/s on billable visits during that 5 day window.

The SOC date occurs on the first billable visit by the qualifying discipline.

If nursing went in first as a courtesy to assist in the transition home or some other non billable documentation but patient doesn't have a skilled nursing need need then I'm not sure where the SN OASIS comes in?

nkthing in your description screams fraud to me. If you're concerned about your agency not being "legit" look for activity such as billing for visits not made, multiple unnecessary visits of long duration etc

[Sunset17]

They do not bill for " fake visits" or anything like that. On therapy only patients - the PT goes in and does their admit oasis and has patient sign for recieving right and responsibilities. Then RN goes in whenever possible to do nursing oasis and med review. This is not billable and area where pt signs is dated as the day therapy saw patient even if a week later because patient put nursing visit off. Then only therapy sees patient with legit visits. Similiar on dc. Therapy does dc oasis and nursing then does unbillable dc oasis and dated same date as when therapy dc'd on signature line even if a week later.

[Libby1987]

I don't understand why your agency would make a practice of multiple non billable nursing visits. The only thing I can come up with is perhaps they're trying to stretch their PT resources.

[Sunset17]

I think that is the case. A medication review must be done on admission that I dont think the therapists are comfortable doing.