August 1, 2017
Home Health Agencies: CMS Proposes 2018 and 2019 Payment Changes
This article was previously published in the July 27, 2017, issue of the MLN Connects at https://www.cms.gov/Outreach-and-Education/Outreach/FFSProvPartProg/Downloads/2017-07-27-eNews.pdf
On July 25, CMS issued a proposed rule that would update payment rates and the wage index for Home Health Agencies (HHAs) serving Medicare beneficiaries in 2018 and proposes a redesign of the payment system in 2019. The Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) proposed rule is one of several proposed rules that would be effective for CY 2018 that reflect a broader strategy that CMS is pursuing to relieve regulatory burdens for providers; support the patient-doctor relationship in healthcare; and promote transparency, flexibility, and innovation in the delivery of care.
Under the proposed rule, the home health payment update percentage for HHAs that submit the required quality data for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program would be 1 percent in 2018. The proposed rule also includes:
- Proposals to refine the HH PPS case-mix adjustment methodology, including a change in the unit of payment from 60-day episodes of care to 30-day periods of care, to be implemented for periods of care beginning on or after January 1, 2019
- Proposals for the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model and the Home Health Quality Reporting Program
- A Request for Information to welcome continued feedback on the Medicare program.
For More Information:
- Proposed Rule
- Fact Sheet
- HH PPS
website
- HHA Center
website
- Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model
webpage
- Home Health Quality Initiative Spotlight
webpage
See the full text of this excerpted Press Release (issued July 25).