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CMS has released the proposed rule for the Home Health Prospective Payment System next year. The rule seeks to expand the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model and address health equity across different groups of beneficiaries.
The rule released earlier today proposes to expand the HHVBP Model nationwide to shift home health Medicare reimbursement based on volume to payments dependent on quality of care. The Model was first introduced through the CMS Innovation Center in 2016. Medicare-certified home health agencies in nine states have participated, resulting in an average 4.6 percent improvement in quality scores and an average annual savings of $141 million to Medicare.
The HHVPB Model, therefore, met regulatory requirements for expansion, which CMS is proposing to do starting January 1, 2022.