Yesterday, November 1, 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the final rule for the CY2018 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS). In the final rule, CMS announces that it will not launch the Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) in 2019.
The final rule states:
"We received many comments from the public that we would like to take into further consideration. While comments were generally supportive of the concept of revising the HH PPS case-mix methodology to better align payments with the cost of providing care, commentators included technical comments on various aspects of the proposed case-mix adjustment methodology under the HHGM and were most concerned about the proposed change in the unit of payment from 60 days to 30 days and such change being proposed for implementation in a non-budget neutral manner. Commentators also stated their desire for greater involvement in the development of the HHGM and the need for access to the necessary data in order to replicate and model the effects on their businesses."
This is not the equivalent of withdrawing the proposal; however, it is a clear victory for the home health providers and advocates who spoke out against the rule.
