Home Health & Hospice Week

2004 first year for new requirement.

Hospices soon will have to adhere to a cost reporting requirement that already applies to home health agencies - electronic filing. In a final rule published in the Aug. 22 Federal Register, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services expands its electronic cost reporting requirements - which also currently apply to hospitals and skilled nursing facilities - to six new types of organizations, including hospices. The rule takes effect with cost reporting periods ending Dec. 31, 2004, which means the first electronic cost reports will be due May 31, 2005. CMS has established a two-year phase-in during which providers will submit both paper and electronic reports. CMS promises to produce free software to aid the preparation of electronic cost reports. The software should hit the streets by October 2004. To get a copy, a provider should request it from its intermediary and provide an explanation as to why it would be a burden to purchase the software on its own. The rule is at www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/fedreg/a030822c.html.