Home Health & Hospice Week
Medicare Issues Therapy Cap Letters To Home Health Patients
If you furnish therapy only under home health, you probably thought the Part B therapy cap changes wouldn't affect you, right? Wrong. The problem: CMS "began issuing its therapy cap letter to Medicare beneficiaries who are receiving home health under Part A, resulting in patients cancelling appointments," reports the American Physical Therapy Association. The letters fail to explain that therapy furnished under a Part A home health plan of care aren't affected by the cap. The solution: Providers will have to educate beneficiaries to avoid appointment cancellations and other related problems that are already occurring. "APTA has updated its patient FAQs to explicitly state that the cap does not apply to patients who receive skilled therapy at home under the Medicare home health benefit Part A, those who receive services under Part A in skilled nursing facilities, or those under a Part A inpatient hospital stay," the trade group says. APTA's letter to therapy patients is online at www.homehealthsection.org/associations/9809/files/APTAPatientCapLetter_9-14-2012.pdf.
Home Health & Hospice Week
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