CARES Act Reporting

Coronavirus
EST. READING TIME: 3 mins

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Provider Relief Fund is part of the $178 billion distributed from the US Department of Health and Human Services to hospitals and healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response. The multiphase distributions to providers has provided much needed funding relief during the pandemic response.

If you acknowledged and accepted the terms and conditions online for the first distribution, you also agreed to the reporting requirements. Likewise, if you did not return the funds, then by default you still agreed to the terms. In a twist of fate, the terms which you agreed to when you accepted the funding has changed as of June 11th, 2021.The revised Post-Payment Notice of Reporting Requirements are available online in their entirety. Key updates include the following:

  • The period of availability of funds is based on the date the payment is received (rather than requiring all payments be used by June 30, 2021, regardless of when they were received).
  • Recipients are required to report for each Payment Received Period in which they received one or more payments exceeding, in the aggregate, $10,000 (rather than $10,000 cumulatively across all PRF payments).
  • Recipients will have a 90-day period to complete reporting (rather than a 30-day reporting period).
  • The reporting requirements are now applicable to recipients of the Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution (formally known as the Skilled Nursing Facility and Nursing Home Infection Control Distribution) in addition to General and other Targeted Distributions.

The Provider Relief Fund Reporting Portal (PRF Reporting Portal) will be open for users beginning July 1st, 2021. Portal users will be able to register and report on payments received from April 10, 2020 through June 30, 2020. We are advising our billing partners to register early and complete the reporting requirements prior to the marked deadlines. Additional deadlines based on additional distributions include the following:

Please keep in mind that it can take approximately 20 minutes to register for the PRF Reporting Portal. Additionally, the entire registration form must be completed for you to save your progress. If you are a billing partner, you will need specific payment information from Cornerstone Adminisystems (CAS). Please reach out to your Client Services representative to confirm the following information:

  • “TIN (Tax Identification Number) of Entity that Received the Payment.” Unless your agency received these funds directly, this will be Cornerstone’s TIN.
  • For “Mode of Payment,” select the option “Direct Deposit ACH.”
  • “Settlement Date” is when CAS received the deposit.
  • “Payment Amount” is the amount distributed to your agency.

We’ve received numerous questions regarding what data we think our billing partners should provide.

In our view, the answer to this depends on whether an agency performs cash or accrual-based accounting.

➔ If cash-based, then reporting net payments would make sense.

➔ If accrual-based, then reporting net charges would make sense.

In all cases, we recommend our billing partners consult with their accountants and/or legal counsel to ensure the most appropriate action.

To assist our billing partners who may be uncertain, or who don’t have immediate access to the data for their payments and/or net charges, we’ve created a report which consolidates this information into a single view, which can be found in CornerSource, our secure client portal, in the reporting section.

Should you have further questions regarding specific aspects of your reporting, please reference the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund: FAQs link. Additionally, there is a Provider Support Line available for those who need it at (866) 569-3522.

Partner With Us

Cornerstone Adminisystems is an employee-owned provider of billing, compliance, and revenue cycle management services to the EMS and medical transport community. Contact us for help improving your revenue cycle.

Improving Your Agency’s EMS Documentation

EST. READING TIME: 3 mins

Improving Your Agency’s EMS Documentation

Now more than ever, documentation is being examined by payers using trained healthcare professionals. Since 2007, over $3.82 billion dollars has been recovered through audits and investigations. Although EMS represents a small fraction of this larger value, the government is looking to recoup every penny. The most effective way to ensure your agency is getting paid for all your services is through accurate EMS documentation.

Patient Care Report (PCR)

EMS documentation is a key component in the continuum of care.  Other healthcare professionals can make important decisions that affect patient health, based on the content of a PCR. Complete your PCR as soon as time permits after a call.

The role of a PCR includes:

  • Medical/QA Record
  • Legal/Compliance Documents
  • Basis for Reimbursement
  • Source of Data Collection

Fundamentals of a PCR include:

  • Demographics & Insurance
  • Accurately spelled name
  • Address
  • DOB
  • SSN
  • Copy of driver’s license
  • Copy of insurance card (front & back)
  • Hospital face sheet
  • Times
  • Dispatch
  • Enroute
  • At Scene
  • Time of Patient Contact
  • Depart Scene
  • At Destination
  • Available
  • Odometer
  • At scene
  • At destination
  • Remember to capture fractional
  • Multiple solutions available for tracking
  • Narrative
  • Main points of emphasis
  • The detail with which you write
  • The logic of how you write

How Documentation is Interpreted

Documentation is translated into ICD-10 codes, placed on claim forms, and submitted for payment. Each character within the ICD-1- Code adds a layer of detail, while specificity helps reveal the most appropriate codes.

Everyone at Cornerstone Adminisystems is a NAAC Certified Ambulance Coder.

Fundamentals of Good Documentation

Good documentation relies on details. We created a free downloadable Documentation Quick Reference Guide that outlines the necessary items that should be included in a PCR. This information includes:

Dispatch & Response

  • Dispatch
    • Was it 911 or equivalent?
    • If non-emergency, explain circumstances.
  • Response
    • Was response immediate?
  • Nature of Call
    • Explain if call was an emergency or non-emergency.
  • Class
    • Class I, II, III, IV (definitions can vary)
  • Chief Complaint
    • Patient’s condition as described during dispatch.
    • If non-emergency, precisely explain reason for transport.
  • Unit(s)
    • BLS, MICU, ALS Squad
    • Unit numbers
    • Assisting units (often for Paramedic Intercepts)

Arrival & Assessment

  • Scene Assessment
    • Explain what you find.
    • What’s the situation at hand?
  • Initial Observations
    • Your general impression of the patient, skin, eyes, breathing, is patient alert, oriented, etc.?
    • For non-emergencies, does the patient meet medical necessity for use of an ambulance?
  • Reported Complaint
    • What the patient (or family member, witness) tells you
  • Assessment
    • A head-to-toe assessment
    • Use mnemonics (consider explicitly explaining OPQRST reveals, AVPU reveals, etc.)

Treatment & Results

  • Treatment/Interventions
    • A thorough description of what you did
  • Results of Treatment/Interventions
    • The outcome of your treatment decisions
    • How patient responded to what you did
  • Packaging
    • Bandaged, boarded, C-spine stabilization, straps, no straps, etc.
  • How Patient Got to the Ambulance
    • Walked under own power, assisted, wheelchair, stretcher, etc.

Transport/Disposition

  • Transport & Ongoing Condition
    • Patient’s condition enroute
    • Ongoing assessment, additional interventions
    • Patient’s response
    • Where you are taking patient and why
  • Transfer of Care
    • How patient was transferred, sheet lift, log roll, hospital workers assisted, bed number
  • Final Disposition
    • Patient’s condition as transfer is completed.
  • Refusals
    • Document these to the same extent as you would a transport, be thorough, explain what you said and did.
    • Protocols/Medical Command

EMS Documentation Workshop

We encourage everyone to take pride in their documentation.  It reflects on the provider, the agency, and their respective standards of professionalism.

Cornerstone Adminisystems offers EMS documentation workshops to all our client partners, with in-person and virtual options available. For information on hosting a class visit EMS documentation or contact us on becoming a Cornerstone partner.