Think instead of the time and money you would save with an EHR system.

Home health agencies not using integrated cloud-based software to increase efficiency and accuracy and improve cash flow may fall by the wayside. This eBook explains why.

In today’s home healthcare market, agencies face many challenges that affect their cash flow. Some challenges are external to the agency while others are created internal to the agency through archaic manual processes.

Three external factors affecting an agency’s bottom line:

1. Medicare and insurance companies cutting reimbursement rates by 30 percent over the last five years. For example, an episode that garnered $2,500 five years ago now reimburses at $1,750 – a decrease of $750.
2. Therapy companies have raised their rates by as much as 60 percent.
3. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has increased scrutiny of claims, which created an agency trend to hire costly external consultants, billers, CPAs, and/or coders to ensure regulatory compliance and receipt of payments.

Ten internal opportunities affecting an agency’s bottom line:

1. Compliance made easier. Getting complete and accurate documentation from clinicians in a timely manner is critical to patient care and regulatory compliance. An Electronic Health Records (EHR) system helps agencies eliminate errors, stay in compliance, and minimize the risk of Additional Document Requests (ADRs), while eliminating claims denials and maximizing revenue for each episode.
2. Easy access to documentation. Spending time locating charts and paperwork that are in another staff member’s possession, not filed, or incorrectly filed wastes valuable billable time. An EHR system allows documentation to be completed quickly, stored in one place, and viewed by multiple people.
3. Anytime, anywhere access to records. Driving to the agency’s office to pick up and drop off patient paperwork encroaches on the time clinicians can spend on patient visits and documentation. Gasoline costs can also add up. An EHR system allows office staff to scan and attach documentation for admissions, histories and physicals, and orders to a communication note and/or patient chart for clinicians to access online from a laptop or mobile device.
4. Better communication. Taking phone calls to communicate patient care instructions and scheduling is time consuming and distracting for clinicians taking care of patients. An EHR system allows the ability to scan and attach documents and sticky notes to HIPPA-compliant messaging between staff and field clinicians. Messages are accessible online or in a mobile app.
5. No more copies. Making thousands of copies of patient documentation can generate significant costs in terms of paper, toner, and copier leases. Once documented electronically, an EHR system eliminates or greatly reduces the need for copies. Most agencies have employees whose sole purpose is to make copies, fax, and file. An EHR system will eliminate the need to pay someone who does nothing to help the agency grow. Even at a minimal amount of $8 – $10 an hour an agency can spend $1,500 to $2,000 a month on paper processing.
6. Streamlined storage. Leasing extra office or external space for storage of file binders and cabinets can add up in monthly rent. An EHR system will allow for all documentation to be stored in HIPPA-compliant cloud-based servers. Remember — one HIPPA violation can cost an agency thousands of dollars.
7. Electronic access to materials. Purchasing pre-printed forms, guidelines, and diagnosis books from Medicare every time they are updated can be inconvenient and costly. An EHR system has all forms embedded in the software, along with diagnosis and code searches, teaching guides, and Medicare guidelines for the OASIS-C1 ‘M’ questions and are updated at no cost to the agency.
8. Virtual document deliveries. Using courier services to deliver printed documents to clinicians and physicians for reviews and sign-offs will delay delivery of materials and incur charges. An EHR system allows all documents to be viewed immediately from almost anywhere on almost any device and can include a physician’s portal that allows for electronic signature.
9. Better document routing and easier HIPAA compliance. The expense of mileage, gas, and time clinicians spend dropping off and picking up paperwork at the agency office can be eliminated. An EHR system allows for all documentation to be stored electronically in the cloud, viewable from virtually anywhere. Clinicians will save gas money, conduct more visits, have time for more complete documentation, and stay HIPPA compliant. It is a HIPPA violation to leave patient information in cars; and a violation can cost the agency thousands of dollars.
10. Navigation assistance. Clinicians can lose their way driving in patients’ neighborhoods. This wastes gas money and time that could have been spent seeing other patients. An EHR system with built-in navigation maps to direct the clinician to patients’ homes will eliminate costly driving around and lost time. As demonstrated in the examples above, a good EHR system reduces agency costs, helps agencies stay in regulatory compliance, allows clinicians more time for patient care, and empowers agency operators to grow their business.

EHR system pitfalls to watch out for:

• Incurs a large implementation fee that can exceed $200,000 and/or several thousand dollars in monthly subscription fees
• Is ‘inexpensive’ software that does not offer solutions for challenges that agencies face on a daily basis
• Requires purchase of specific, expensive hardware devices for daily workflow operations and/or expensive servers to store data
• Uses a syncing process once in range of the server or internet, which means the data is not available in real-time
• Is not flexible enough to work with agency processes

What a good EHR will do for an agency:

Ideally, agency operators should look for an EHR system that is completely web-based. This type of platform provides real-time documentation; intuitively pulls information forward from a patient’s chart to their Plan of Care to scheduling then to billing; safely stores data; and is easy to use yet cost effective. A web-based software system can also include the convenience of an app for mobile devices to give field clinicians access to a message center, visit notes, and patient charts.

No matter the size of agency staff or patient census, the amount of revenue generated, or the types of payers billed for reimbursements, in today’s environment a home health agency cannot afford to not adopt an effective EHR system to help them stay in business and be successful.