Major changes were introduced in OASIS-E last year, which included several new standardized items. Ensuring accurate responses to these new OASIS items is crucial for home health agencies, given the adjustments involved. Apart from assessing the quality of patient care provided and identifying areas for… Read More »2 Common Pitfalls in Scoring New OASIS-E Items
Home health agencies typically assess and monitor patients’ functional status in order to create personalized care plans, ensure accurate reimbursements, and provide data for quality reporting. Currently, agencies utilize OASIS items from Section G, the M1800s, to calculate reimbursement, star ratings, and Value-Based Purchasing (VBP)… Read More »Shifting from G to GG items in QRP and VBP
The two Transfer of Health (TOH) process measures are new additions to the Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP). They will be publicly reported on Care Compare starting in January 2025, as outlined in the CY2024 Home Health Final Rule. The initial data for… Read More »New Transfer of Health (TOH) Measures, Explained
A report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) last year revealed that home health agencies failed to properly document and report a significant number of fall incidents with major injuries among Medicare patients. Stricter scrutiny is expected for HHAs for timely completion of OASIS… Read More »Tips for Documenting Falls in OASIS Items J1800 and J1900
The latest version of the Interim Performance Report (IPR) for HHVBP is set to be available in iQIES by end of January 2024. It allows agencies to evaluate and monitor their quality measure performance compared to peers in their cohort. The January 2024 IPR will… Read More »Reviewing the January 2024 IPR for HHVBP
The Draft version of the OASIS-E1 Instrument has been released by CMS giving home health agencies an early look at the changes to the OASIS taking effect January 1, 2025 The OASIS document requires updating to accommodate some changes related to policy, including the end… Read More »CMS Releases Draft OASIS-E1 Instrument
The demand for home and community-based care will grow due to aging baby boomers, elderly preference to age at home, and healthcare cost reduction pressures. Despite growth opportunities, home healthcare providers will face headwinds in 2024, including a persistent labor shortage, heightened competition, reimbursement cuts,… Read More »Industry Trends Shaping Home Health in 2024
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?
