Prospective Payment System:
Final HH Rate Update Offers A Few Surprises
Published on Tue Oct 06, 2009
Industry group still not happy about case mix creep adjustment. Your agency will soon see $41 more per episode as first proposed in August, but some anticipated changes are now on hold. The Home Health Prospective Payment System final rate update for 2010 is slated to be published in the Federal Register on Nov. 10, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced on Oct. 30. CMS also offered a sneak peek at the final rule. Here's what you can bank on: Rate Increase, OASIS C Make Final Cut Effective Jan. 1, home health agencies will get a 2-percent increase in market basket rates for home health services. That breaks down to a net 1.75- percent rate increase in payment rates based on a 2 percent inflation update, a 2.75 percent case mix creep adjustment, and a 2.5 percent addition from outlier funds. "This final regulation builds on Medicare'sefforts to [...]