Home Health & Hospice Week

Pay attention to these reimbursement-threatening developments. Home health agency payments are facing some damaging cuts next year, but that's nothing compared to the reductions your outpatient therapy business may face. Background: Many HHAs offer Part B outpatient therapy in the home after patients are no longer homebound. For a new tip sheet on how to bill for such services from HHH Medicare Administrative Contractor CGS, go online to www.cgsmedicare.com/hhh/education/materials/Home_Health_Outpatient_Therapy_Billing.html. One threat, which has been ongoing, is the Part B therapy cap (which doesn't apply to home health episodes, but does apply to outpatient Part B therapy furnished by HHAs). In April, lawmakers introduced legislation to repeal the cap, says Tim Nanof, federal affairs manager for the American Occupational Therapy Association. While the prospect for repeal is "extremely unlikely," Nanof says, the industry uses the repeal bill "as a rally cry  -- a beacon to draw support on the issue of [...]