New Medicare Requirement

Medicare home health care costs doubled to $19 billion in 2009 from 2002. As a result, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) is now requiring that patients receiving home health care must meet face-to-face with their doctors in order for Medicare to reimburse the home care visits.

This new requirement, which also applies to hospice patients, requires a doctor to visit Medicare beneficiaries thirty days after or ninety days before starting the home health services. Groups representing hospice and home health industries claim this new requirement will create hardships for many patients.

CMS delayed the requirement’s effective date, originally set for January 1, 2011, for three months after receiving complaints from providers. CMS also increased the timeframe for doctor visits. AARP and other provider groups will now look for a legislative solution.

See New Rule Requires Homebound Medicare Patients to See Doctors, ElderLawAnswers, Apr. 5, 2011.