Home Health & Hospice Week

Recently enrolled HHAs should start submitting OASIS data by June 30 to avoid a 2 percent payment reduction next year. If you started participating in Medicare before May 1, you're on the hook for OASIS data submission in 2011 to avoid the 2012 pay cut, CMS says in a new MLN Matters article.

The catch: "HHAs whose initial surveys are completed in the early months of the year may not receive their retroactive notification of participation, containing their CMS Certification Number (CCN), from the CMS Regional Office until May or June," CMS recognizes in the article. "For these recently enrolled HHAs, it is important to act immediately after receiving their CCN. The HHA should immediately begin to submit OASIS data, as required by their Conditions of Participation, before June 30, 2011."

Agencies that fail to submit their data by that date will be subject to the pay cut, CMS warns.

Similarly, agencies that started before April 1 also must submit HHCAHPS data or face a 2 percent pay cut in 2012. However, agencies with less than 60 patients between April, 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010, are exempt from HHCAHPS participation for CY 2012.

Don't forget: Agencies must complete an HHCAHPS Participation Exemption Request form for CY 2012 on the HHCAHPS website to qualify for the exemption.

The article is online at www.cms.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE1115.pdf.