Home Health & Hospice Week

Proposed rule would open up veterans’ care choices to non-VA providers.

A proposed regulation from the Veterans Administration could put more veterans in your care. The proposed rule would expand veterans’ access to non-VA providers for "extended care services" — specifically, for home health, palliative and non-institutional hospice care.

The VA rule proposes to change the onerous and often confusing federal requirements for contracts between the VA and non-VA providers, according to the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. The proposed rule would allow the VA to enter into provider agreements for extended care services with non-VA providers who have an existing Medicare provider agreement with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or with their state Medicaid plan.

The rule also proposes to make VA provider agreement’s rates and terms the same as the provider’s Medicare agreement with CMS or its agreement under a state Medicaid plan, NAHC says. And if you have agreements with both CMS and your state Medicaid program, the VA agreement would reflect whichever rates are highest.

The proposed rule is currently open for comments, due by March 15. To read the proposed rule, go to www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-13/html/2013-02993.htm.