GEOH News – GEOH

The Dangers of Splitting an Overnight Visit

July 17, 2024/in GEOH News/by Tom Bumgardner

In the realm of health care and Medicaid billing, accuracy and honesty are not merely best practices—they’re unequivocally mandated. This blog post shines a light on one specific billing practice that has the potential to land agencies in hot water: the splitting of overnight visits.

What is “Visit Splitting”?

Splitting an overnight visit refers to the act of dividing a single, continuous overnight service into multiple billing entries. On the surface, this might seem like a harmless division of service tracking, but it is, in fact, a fraudulent activity that’s taken quite seriously by regulators.

The Risks of Creating Fake Check-ins/Check-outs

The only way to split an overnight visit is to create a fake check in/ check out. The creation of fake check-ins and check-outs is a direct breach of Medicaid billing protocols. Doing so results in a distorted portrayal of the care provided and enters the dangerous territory of fraudulent billing—a crime that could lead to audits, penalties, and even criminal charges against the agency.

The scenario is clear-cut: If an agency claims for two visits instead of one, ostensibly indicating that care was provided during two separate intervals (which otherwise would not have been billable for the entirety of an overnight span), they are falsifying records. Not only does this threaten the integrity of the billing process, but it also jeopardizes the patient care standards set forth by Medicaid.

Audit Prevention with GEOH

While GEOH cannot promise you will not be audited, our software is made with audits in mind. Meaning it won’t allow you to split visits like this! Regarding billing systems, technology plays a pivotal role in ensuring compliance and preventing fraud. GEOH, a platform designed with audit prevention in mind, becomes a critical component for agency owners who intend to conduct their operations above board and without the looming threat of an audit induced by inaccurate billing practices.

GEOH’s system does not allow the splitting of overnight visits, thereby serving as a safeguard against any temptations or oversight that might lead to this unethical practice. By using GEOH, agencies are not just streamlining their billing process; they’re also fortifying their defense against future audits, all while operating within the full scope of legal and ethical boundaries.

How To Create a Strike System For Your Caregivers

February 5, 2024/in GEOH News/by Tom Bumgardner

As agency owners, it can be challenging to manage a large team of caregivers and ensure they are meeting all the requirements. However, implementing a strike system can help maintain a professional environment and improve agency billing. So let’s dive in and learn how to do it!

The first step in implementing a caregiver strike system is to establish clear guidelines and expectations for your caregivers. Before you start you strike system. Make sure you provide them with technology training on how to check in and out before you implement your strike system. This will ensure everyone is able to check in once you put your strike system in place.

Next, develop a progressive discipline plan that outlines the consequences of violating agency policies. A standard discipline plan should have three to four strike levels, such as verbal warnings, written warnings, and suspension. You should send out all warnings via email and not text messages. Send your warning via email first and then remind them there is an email in their inbox. You can text them but only to remind them to check their email inbox. We recommend using email because it feels more formal to the caregivers and is usually taken seriously vs just a text message.

It is critical to follow up on your caregiver’s behavior and provide immediate feedback to correct the problem. Once you have issued a warning or strike, ensure that they understand the problem and what needs to change to avoid future strikes. Encourage open communication, designate a point of contact for caregivers to report any issues, and respond promptly to their concerns. Open communication usually means you checking in we recommend you do this in a non-threatening way. Here are some examples below.

Scenario One:

“ Hey _____. I saw you were not able to check in today. Is everything okay”

“ Yeah, I just didn’t know how.”

“ Okay well let’s figure out a time where I can show you how, because if this happens again tomorrow it will be a documented warning. Unfortunately, checking in is mandated by the state and we could all get in a lot of trouble if we do not do it. “

Scenario Two:

“ Hey _____. I saw you were not able to check in today. Is everything okay”

“ I’m so sorry my car broke down and I was not able to make it today.”

“ I’m so sorry your car broke down, do you have reliable transportation tomorrow? Do you need me to make any changes until your car is fixed to the schedule? If you miss again it would be a documented warning so we want to try to avoid that.”

Scenario Three:

“ Hey _____. I saw you were not able to check in today. Is everything okay?”

“ I don’t like that app we are using, and I don’t want to use it.”

“ I understand technology can be frustrating, however, it is state law that we are mandated to use EVV to check in and out. I did implement your first warning for not checking in today and sent it via email.

Would you like to schedule a time to learn how to check in together? I do not want you to have to serve a suspension of any kind because I know you are great with ____( client name here) and we really appreciate all you do for us.”

Your Strike System:

First Warning (Date): Verbally tell them about the importance of providing proper documentation for Medicaid on this date. Accurate records are necessary for billing and administrative purposes. Stress that this is their first warning.

Second Warning (Date): Following the first warning, you send an email stressing the importance of compliance. Additionally, you send a second text message/ call to warn them and send another email to follow up stating the third warning will be a suspension.

Third Warning – Unfortunately, despite previous warnings, the caregiver still has not followed EVV compliance rules. You must send an email letting them know of their suspension and that they may be discharged from your agency.

We know implementing a strike system can be scary, especially during a retention shortage!

How To Follow Up For Missed Visits

January 31, 2024/in GEOH News/by Tom Bumgardner

Yesterday, we talked about the importance of accurately tracking hours and setting clear expectations with clients. Today, we’re going to focus on another critical aspect of billing: making sure you don’t leave any visits as missed.

This can happen because of a couple of reasons; maybe a caregiver showed up to the visit but did not clock in or they just flat out missed the visit.

If you leave a visit missed it’s like you are forgetting to bill! So this means you will end up paying for this visit out of pocket… YIKES!

That’s why it’s essential to have a system in place to ensure that you never miss a visit.

Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Use GEOH to check for any missed visits: GEOH has a worklist you can check every day to see if any visits are missed! Make a habit of checking your work list for missed visits in the morning.

Review your records: Take some time to review your records and see if there are any missed visits from the past. Sometimes, you might have forgotten to bill for a visit. Look at the past week and catch up on any missed visits.

Make it a habit: Finally, the key to avoiding missed visits is to make it a habit. Set aside some time each day to ensure that all visits are accounted for. You will need to call any caregiver who missed a visit and find out what happened. Along with verifying with the client and getting a signature that they were actually there. (This will help you in case of an audit.) We recommend setting aside 30 minutes to follow up on any missed visits every morning. This will keep your agency running smoothly and keep you from paying extra out of pocket!

So there you have it – some simple yet effective tips to help you avoid missed visits and improve your billing process. Remember, billing doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. With the right tools and mindset, you can streamline the process and ensure that you get paid what you deserve from medicaid!

Reducing Manual Check-Ins At Your Agency

January 30, 2024/in GEOH News/by Tom Bumgardner

Today we are going to work on how to reduce manual check-ins for your agency!

Reducing manual check-ins is crucial for any agency that operates in the healthcare industry. When caregivers manually check-in, it can lead to inaccuracies that could cause your agency to be audited. This could even result in citations and recoupments, which is a nightmare for any organization that wants to operate smoothly. Today, we will explore ways to reduce manual check-ins in your agency to save you time, money, and potential legal issues.

1. The first step towards reducing manual check-ins is to have your caregivers check-in themselves.

One effective way of achieving this is by using the reminder feature in GEOH. GEOH is an electronic visit verification (EVV) system that can send reminders to caregivers before their shift to check-in. This will not only reduce the need for manual check-ins but also ensure that your caregivers are punctual and ready to work.

2. Reduce manual check-ins by educating your caregivers on how to check in themselves.

You can achieve this by calling them before their shift and walking them through the process. During the call, remind them that it is a state law to follow the EVV protocols and that failing to do so can lead to severe legal consequences. This will not only help you to reduce manual check-ins but also emphasize the importance of following protocols in your agency.

3. Make a schedule with your caregivers not for them

Ask your caregivers what days and how many hours they would like to work, then make a schedule two weeks in advance that honors those dates. This will help with overall retention but also will help with caregivers showing up on time to their shift therefore decreasing manual check-ins.

How To Reduce Caregiver Burnout

January 22, 2024/in GEOH News/by Tom Bumgardner

Being a caregiver can be one of the most fulfilling professions out there. However, it can also be one of the most challenging and taxing positions. Many caretakers are often so focused on the care and well-being of their patients that they forget to take care of themselves. This ultimately leads to burnout which can lead to a decrease in the quality of care. In this blog post, we will dive into 5 ways to reduce caregiver burnout and ensure that they can maintain their high levels of care consistently.

Give each caregiver a mentor:

One of the best ways to reduce caregiver burnout is by having a support system, and what could be better than having a mentor, preferably someone who has done this for a while? Someone who could be their friend, check in with them regularly and offer them advice or a shoulder to lean on when needed. Having a mentor gives the caregivers a sense of belonging, and they could even talk to someone who understands what they are going through.

Say Thank You:

A little appreciation goes a long way when it comes to reducing caregiver burnout. Acknowledge their efforts and time to show them that they are not only seen but also appreciated. Make a point to tell them thank you at least once a week. We recommend using handwritten thank-you notes for this but an email could work too. Knowing your boss appreciates you can go a long way.

Create a Facebook group:

Create a Facebook group where your caregivers can support each other: here they can share their experiences, offer advice and the support system they need to thrive. This group not only creates a sense of community but also allows caregivers to share their experiences.

Give out a 90-day bonus:

When most caregivers burn out it is usually within the first 90 days. While the other options are focused on emotional support, this one is focused on financial support.. Offering caregivers a bonus for every 90 days they work is a great way to help your agency’s retention.

Continuous Professional Development: Ongoing or additional training could also be an effective way of reducing caregiver burnout, which could be relatively inexpensive if done online or by bringing in specialists to train the team. This training could teach them coping strategies, on how they could self-care and manage their stress and anxiety levels.

Try this: Have a “Caregiver Self Care Night”

Invite your caregivers to a conference room that is decorated or a restaurant. Think about an expert you could invite to speak. It could be a makeup artist that comes to show them some skin care tricks. If you have a friend who is a counselor or mental health professional you could also invite them to talk about ways to cope with stress. This not only gives your caregivers a fun night off but also gives them some advice and ideas on how to deal with stress moving forward.

In conclusion, being a caregiver is an essential and fulfilling profession, but it’s equally crucial that we take care of the caregivers. Caregiver burnout can lead to decreased quality of care, work dissatisfaction and higher turnover rates. Reducing caregiver burnout ensures that they stay motivated and remain at peak performance level leading to better patient care, better agency morale, and better staff retention. Try out some of the tips outlined above, and ensure your caregivers feel seen, supported and valued.