The BFCC-QIO, an organization that patients and caregivers can turn to for filing complaints or expressing concerns about the care or information they’ve received from a provider, is set to undergo changes.
For home health and hospice services, it is necessary to include the BFCC-QIO on any notice of Medicare non-coverage given to a patient, informing them about their upcoming discharge. Additionally, for hospice, the patient’s election statement must include BFCC-QIO detail information, ensuring they are aware of this resource and can contact them whenever needed.
Recently, the medical review process has emphasized that it’s not enough to simply include the acronym or definition of BFCC-QIO on the election statement. You must specifically name the BFCC-QIO and provide their contact information. Starting August 1, 2024, Kepro, a BFCC-QIO covering multiple regions across the country, will be rebranding to be known as Acentra.
According to their website, after the rebrand their contact information will not change, so agencies that do not update the name may avoid issues during medical review as long as the contact information remains accurate and available to patients. However, as a contractor consultant who conducts medical reviews and assists agencies, HPS strongly believes that having the incorrect name on your documentation could be problematic during a medical review. Therefore, if Kepro is the BFCC-QIO for your home health or hospice patients, please ensure that all documentation is updated to reflect their new name, Acentra, by August 1.
Should your home health or hospice agency require assistance with any of your documentation review needs, please feel free to reach out to us.
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