HHS Department unveils its semi-annual regulatory agenda
By MATTHEW HAY
HHBR Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS; Washington) last week published in the Federal Register its semi-annual regulatory agenda, which included a range of regulatory items that will impact the home care industry. Those items include such issues as home health conditions of participation, and survey requirements and alternative sanctions. Also included in the agenda is the the home health prospective payment system (PPS).
While home health agencies should note what the agency plans to do over the next six months, these long-range blueprints often bear little resemblance to reality. However, the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA; Baltimore) is still expected to publish the home health PPS on time, which would mean by July 1.
According to the HHS regulatory agenda, HCFA will revise home health agency conditions of participation to focus on the patient using outcome-oriented measures. "Most of the current HHA conditions of participation have remained unchanged since home health services became a Medicare benefit in 1966," according to HHS. While some limited modifications have been made over the years to comply with legislative changes, most of the conditions of participation continue to be "structure and process oriented," the agency added.
HHS said it would also publish survey requirements and alternative sanctions that will establish periodic, unannounced surveys of home health agencies and other survey requirements. It will also specify sanctions that could be used when an agency is out of compliance with federal law as an alternative to terminating an agency’s participation in the Medicare program.
Also of interest to home health agencies will be a rule to revise and update various provisions of the regulations pertaining to provider appeals, as well as the regulation implementing the Medicare Integrity program. Under the latter program, the agency may enter into new contracts with entities to perform certain oversight activities.
The rule will identify the services to be procured, competitive requirements, evaluation, and resolution of conflicts of interest, as well as rules regarding contractor liability, HHS said.
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