Sep 30, 2019   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

MediTelecare Prepares for the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) Coming on October 1st, 2019

MIDDLETOWN, Conn., Sept. 30, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- MediTelecare, the nation's leading provider of behavioral telehealth services to Skilled Nursing Facilities, is helping its partnering facilities prepare for the new Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) coming into effect on October 1st, 2019. This shift in the reimbursement model will bring a significant change to how skilled nursing facilities are able to bill specialized care for residents with complex behavioral health needs.

Under the existing RUG-IV model for reimbursement, skilled nursing facilities have previously faced difficulties accepting residents with complex behavioral health needs due to the considerable requirements for providing specialized care. With the additional financial support brought to skilled nursing facilities by a PDPM, MediTelecare is taking action to ensure its partnering facilities are prepared for the potential influx of residents with depression and other behavioral concerns. As a behavioral health resource, MediTelecare not only offers its facilities support in providing accurate assessments and diagnoses of residents for all major behavioral illnesses but also in the follow-up care needed once a resident has been diagnosed.

Here are some of the ways MediTelecare is helping its facilities prepare for a PDPM: 

    --  Expedited evaluation of residents to ensure up to date diagnosis that
        reflects any behavioral or cognitive symptoms
    --  Neurocognitive screening to identify cognitive impairments
    --  Real-time diagnosis updates, communicated to your designated point
        person for entry into your medical record
    --  Assistance with BIMS and PHQ-9 interpretation
    --  Follow-up visits to ensure facility compliance with service delivery for
        behavioral health needs
    --  Training and education for staff on understanding behavioral illnesses
        and dealing with challenging behaviors

MediTelecare understands that its facilities have a responsibility to ensure that residents with behavioral health needs receive the care and treatment they deserve. Ed Mercadante, Founder & CEO of MediTelecare, says, "We are prepared to help our skilled facility partners meet the new PDPM standards, we believe residents will benefit from a more integrated care model while improving overall patient outcomes."

For more information, contact MediTelecare VP of Strategic Partnerships & Customer Experience, Bernadette Greatorex at bernadette.greatorex@meditelecare.com.

About MediTelecare: MediTelecare is the industry leader in providing behavioral telehealth services to residents of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Their services utilize televideo with face-to-face communication, and other virtual telemedicine technologies to streamline diagnostic evaluations and design personalized treatment plans for each resident's needs. The company's clinical team consists of psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, and psychologists providing behavioral telehealth services to approximately 20,000 residents in over 250 Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) across 16 states.

SOURCE MediTelecare