2015 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced through the release of the July 7, 2014 Federal Register (Vol .79 No. 129) a proposed rule concerning the update to the Home Health Prospective Payment System. (HH PPS) rates, including the national, standardized 60 day episode payment rates, the national per-visit rates and the non-routine medical supply (NRS) conversation factor effective January 1, 2015.

Some of the key highlights of this proposed rule are as follows:

• Proposes a rebasing adjustment to the HH PPPS payment rates
• Proposes changes to simplify the face-to-face encounter regulatory requirements
• Changes the HH PPS case-mix weights
• Provides for Changes to the home health quality reporting program requirements
• Provides for changes to simplify the therapy reassessment timeframes
• Provides changes to the Speech –Language Pathology (SLP) personnel qualifications and
• Provides discussion on Medicare coverage of insulin injections under the HH PPS

For a complete detailed analysis please refer to http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-07-07/pdf/2014-15736.pdf and or contact us directly.