Home Health & Hospice Week

With flu season nearly upon you, it may be time to brush up on your vaccination reimbursement basics. The 2011 rate for vaccination administration is $26.35, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice reminds providers. Sixty percent of that amount is wage-adjusted based on a provider's CBSA. CMS has proposed the rate to decrease to $26.24 in 2012, NAHC points out. The administration rate will ultimately be set in CMS's outpatient prospective payment system final rule. Home health agencies receive reimbursement for the vaccine itself on a reasonable cost basis, NAHC explains. "If, however, an HHA's intermediary believes that the HHA has unreasonably incurred cost for the vaccines --" or otherwise has not been a prudent buyer -- it is up to the HHA to support that it was prudent and that the costs are reasonable," the trade group cautions.