On July 11, 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed changes to the Home Health Prospective Payment System (Home Health PPS). This includes routine updates to the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2020 and a proposal to implement a new home infusion benefit for beneficiaries in CY 2021. The proposed rule would also increase Medicare payments to home health agencies (HHAs) by 1.3 percent ($250 million) overall, which reflects a 0.2 percent decrease in CY 2020 payments due to the rural add-on percentages mandated through CY 2022 by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. Unlike previous rural add-ons, which were applied to all rural areas uniformly, the extension provided varying add-on amounts depending on the rural county (or equivalent area) classification. The average increase in payments to rural providers overall is 4.7 percent. RHIhub provides additional information on Rural Home Health Services as well as helpful FAQs. Click here for more information.
