CMS Proposes 2018 and 2019 Payment Changes for Medicare Home Health Agencies

CMS NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 25, 2017 Contact: CMS Media Relations (202) 690-6145 | CMS Media Inquiries    CMS Proposes 2018 and 2019 Payment Changes for Medicare Home Health Agencies Proposed rule creates a more responsive home health payment system to meet patients’ needs  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today 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 calendar year 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. “CMS is committed to helping patients and their doctors make better decisions about their healthcare choices,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma. “We’re redesigning the payment system to be more responsive to patients’ needs and to improve outcomes. The new payment system aims to encourage innovation and collaboration and to incentivize home health providers to meet or exceed industry quality standards.” 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.  Additionally, the proposed rule includes proposals for the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model and the Home Health Quality Reporting Program. The proposed rule also includes a Request for Information to welcome continued feedback on the Medicare program. CMS is committed to maintaining flexibility and efficiency throughout Medicare. Through transparency, flexibility, program simplification, and innovation; CMS aims to transform the Medicare program and promote the availability of high-value and efficiently-provided care for its beneficiaries. The proposed rule and the Request for Information can be downloaded from the Federal Register at: https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection. For a fact sheet on the proposed rule, please visit: https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Fact-sheets/2017-Fact-Sheet-items/2017-07-25.html. For additional information about the Home Health Prospective Payment System, visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Medicare-Fee-for-Service-Payment/HomeHealthPPS/index.html and https://www.cms.gov/center/provider-Type/home-Health-Agency-HHA-Center.html. For additional information about the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model, visit https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/home-health-value-based-purchasing-model.  For additional information about the Home Health Quality Reporting Program, visit https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/HomeHealthQualityInits/HHQISpotlight.html. ### Get CMS news at cms.gov/newsroom, sign up for CMS news via email and follow CMS on Twitter @CMSgovPress