One in five Medicare patients is readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. For patients discharged from an inpatient setting, such as a hospital or skilled-nursing facility, it is a critical time for those with moderate- to high-complexity medical issues. During this period, the chances of readmission are increased if proper transition and quality of care are not provided.
In 2013, CMS introduced Transitional Care Management (TCM) in an effort to improve care coordination and reduce readmissions. TCM is designed for primary care physicians and specialists, as well as qualifying, non-physician providers, to provide care to these more vulnerable patients. It’s a vital service that aims to eliminate gaps in patient care and readmission during critical periods. In addition, many commercial insurers have followed suit and incorporated TCM into their coverage capacity.
To assist your practice, VIPN has released a Transitional Care Management (TCM) Toolkit, which covers essential information, including TCM service settings, CPT codes, elements of medical decision making, how to implement TCM in your practice and bill for it and more to help you ensure you are capturing this high-value visit.
Review the Transitional Care Management Toolkit
