ACMA Urges CMS to Eliminate Home Health Face-to-Face Requirement
Posted on: 9/4/2014
On Tuesday, ACMA submitted a letter to CMS Administrator, Marilyn Tavenner, requesting that the agency eliminate the home health face-to-face encounter documentation requirement mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and require only that a physician certify a visit took place and the patient needs home care with a date and a signature.
The letter came in response to the agency's request for comments in its proposed rule updating the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates. The proposed rule includes measures to eliminate the home health face-to-face encounter documentation requirement.
The letter includes issues provided by ACMA's Public Policy Committee related to the requirement and its impact on both case management and patients.
In meetings with both CMS and Congress dating back to March of 2011, ACMA has called for changes to the home health face-to-face requirement. Following feedback and recommendations from ACMA and the Face-to-Face Coalition, CMS announced on December 8, 2011, that it would permit the use of Form 485 to meet the documentation requirement.
To view the letter, click here.
To learn more about the proposed rule, click here.
To read more about ACMA's efforts around this issue, click here.
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