The 2024 Home Health Final Payment Rule, released on November 1, 2023, brings significant changes directly impacting the Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) model in 2025. We have summarized these changes and added some notes about their implications. While VBP generally stays the same in 2024, maintaining… Read More »[CY 2024 Final Rule] Upcoming Changes to HHVBP
CMS released the CY 2024 home health final payment rule last November 1. CMS estimates that Medicare payments to HHAs in CY 2024 will increase in the aggregate by 0.8 percent, or $140 million, compared to CY 2023. The final rule sets a permanent payment… Read More »Key Takeaways: CY 2024 Home Health Final Payment Rule
Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued notifications to home health agencies found to be non-compliant with the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HHQRP) requirements for the calendar year (CY) 2022. Consequently, these agencies will face a 2% reduction in payment… Read More »Quality Reporting Compliance: What Qualifies as Quality Care Episode?
On October 5th, CMS published the Preview Reports for the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (QRP), which show in advance the data that will be reflected in the forthcoming January 2024 Care Compare refresh. For this refresh, the OASIS and all HH QRP claims-based measures… Read More »Available now: Preview Reports for 2024 Care Compare Refresh; BIMS Explainer Video
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a new set of quarterly OASIS Q&As. It features inquiries received by their help desk from the third quarter of the current year. This new set of Q&As offers guidance in completing the Transfer OASIS… Read More »Out Now: October 2023 OASIS Q&As
Surveys are unannounced yet foreseeable, making it crucial for home health agencies to remain survey-ready. Survey deficiencies can have severe consequences for a home health business, particularly if they pose a risk of causing serious harm to patients. The top 10 home health survey deficiencies… Read More »Tips for Avoiding Common Survey Deficiencies
A recent report released by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) on September 5th revealed that home health agencies (HHAs) failed to properly document and report a significant number of fall incidents with major injuries, among Medicare patients. According to the report, 55% of major… Read More »OIG Report Inadequate OASIS Documentation of Falls with Major Injury
A patient’s functional ability is a key factor to consider in creating a home health care plan. The intent is to discharge the patient with better, safer functional ability, demonstrating improved outcomes. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines, the therapist… Read More »Assessing Functional Ability for an Effective Plan of Care
In 2025, significant changes are coming to the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) model. These changes are designed to make the program better at evaluating and rewarding high-quality care in home health services. It is important to understand that while these changes will not officially… Read More »HHVBP Proposed Changes for 2025
The Plan of Care (POC) is a vital component of home health care as it promotes patient-centered services and facilitates effective collaboration among care teams working with the patient. It is also a requirement for Medicare claims reimbursement, and strict adherence to highly specific documentation… Read More »5 Tips for Compliant and Patient-Centered Plan of Care
