More and more nurses both LPNs and RNs are having billing, nursing practice, and other issues practicing as an Independent Provider.
Home care isn't for everyone and self-employment isn't for everyone. The combination of the two can ring disaster for nurses who just jump into being an Independent Provider without any preparation.
You are a licensed healthcare professional and you are a small business owner as an IP. You cannot just jump and then figure things out as you go. This is recipe for an ODJFS Notice of Deficiency, Plan of Correction, Ohio Nursing Board Complaint, and/or a certified letter from ODJFS saying "you owe us ten million dollars because you failed to...."
What is an Ohio Independent Provider?
http://www.ohiohcp.org/provider.html#php1
If you are going to be an Ohio Independent Provider you need to learn the basics of home care before you just jump.
For example, consider taking a home care course to learn about the Ohio Home Care Program. See
http://ochch.org/associations/11629/files/MarchHC101brochure.pdf
I am actually thinking about registering for this program as a refresher.
Also why not attend a coding and billing CE for home health to increase your knowledge?
See http://ochch.org/associations/11629/files/JuneAdvancedCodingBrochure.pdf. Oh, let me guess, you just have someone "do" your coding? Bullshit. That's like me saying as an attorney "oh, I just have someone do my billing, I don't have to know anything about it."
Nurses as a group do not support and join professional associations for a number of reasons. But guess what? As a Independent Provider, you need the support. You will probably not find it in a general national or state nurses association but you should at least attending CE and training offered by ODJFS and the Ohio Home Care Organizations. Its Risk Management, baby!!!!!!!
https://m360.ochch.org/frontend/portal/viewcalendar.aspx
http://www.ohpco.org/aws/MCA/pt/sp/education_homecare
Also as Ohio IP you should have the following professionals on your team:
1. Accountant;
2. Business Lawyer;
3. More experienced IP in your County; and
4. Nursing Law Attorney (that would be me).
Things are going to come up because you are a self-employed and you want to evaluate the situations as a licensed nurses and a business owner. Also for heaven's sake, BUY Professional Liability Insurance with a License Defense Protection Benefit!!!!!!
As an IP, you can pay it on the front end with risk management, paying for consultative services, etc. or you will pay it on the back end when mistakes (practice, billing, etc.) are made. and you have to retain a lawyer to represent you before the State Nursing Board and/or in an ODJFS matter proposing the termination of your provider agreement.
Remember this isn't Disney World: you are billing the State for skilled nursing services and you are essentially your own agency: billing for services, scheduling visits, and providing care.
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