CMS proposes PPS home health update for CY 2019 and a revised HH case-mix system for CY 2020

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a proposed calendar year 2019 update to the home health prospective payment system. For home health services beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2020, this rule proposes a case-mix methodology refinement, which will eliminate the use of therapy thresholds for case-mix adjustment purposes; and proposes to change the unit of payment from a 60-day episode of care to a 30-day period of care, as mandated by section 51001 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018). The proposed rule also proposes a new methodology used to determine rural add-on payments for CYs 2019 through 2022 as mandated by statute. For more details, see today’s Financial Feature.