The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) held the Home Health, Hospice & Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Open Door Forum (ODF) on December 7, 2022. A summary of the ODF applicable to home health providers is below.

Expanded Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model (HHVBP)

CMS officials reminded participants of the expanded HHVBP Model, which begins January 1, 2023. The calendar year 2022 has been a pre-implementation year for the HHVBP Model. During this year, CMS has provided resources to assist agencies in preparing for the expanded HHVBP model.

The expanded HHVBP Model webpage houses over 30 resources designed to help providers prepare for implementation. Resources such as training recordings, frequently asked questions, a guide to the Model, and monthly newsletters can be instrumental in helping providers gain an understanding of the expanded Model. In addition, CMS recently made available Pre-Implementation Performance Reports (PIPRs)  to all home health agencies. PIPRs show providers how their performance compares to other providers in the assigned volume-based cohort, including statistics describing the distribution of performance scores. PIPRs will be available again in January and April 2023.

Claims Processing Update

CMS issued Change Request (CR) 12805 on November 2, 2022, that provides instructions on new G-codes to report home health services furnished by telehealth. Beginning on or after January 1, 2023, providers may voluntarily report the use of telecommunications technology in the provision of home health services on claims. This information is required on home health claims beginning on July 1, 2023. Providers are to submit the use of telecommunications technology when furnishing home health services, on the home health claim via three G-codes.

Providers are to report furnished via telecommunications technology in line item detail and each service must be reported as a separately dated line under the appropriate revenue code for each discipline furnishing the service.

• G0320: Home health services furnished using synchronous telemedicine rendered via a real-time two-way audio and video telecommunications system.
• G0321: Home health services furnished using synchronous telemedicine rendered via telephone or other real-time interactive audio-only telecommunications system.
• G0322: The collection of physiologic data digitally stored and/or transmitted by the patient to the home health agency (i.e., remote patient monitoring).

The use of remote patient monitoring that spans a number of days shall be reported as a single line item reporting the beginning date of monitoring and the number of days of monitoring in the units field.

Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS-E)

The final OASIS-E All Items and time point versions of the instrument, effective January 1, 2023, are available, along with the log of changes from the draft to the final instrument and manual. The final data set is available on the CMS website here.

CMS informed participants that the OASIS-E data collection will begin with OASIS assessments with an M0090 date on or after January 1, 2023. During the question and answer portion of the call, several callers requested clarification about which version of the OASIS would be required for recertification assessments that are completed in the last days of December 2022 for recertification that starts on or after January 1, 2023.

Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS)

CMS announced registration is now open for the HHCAHPS survey vendor update webinar training session. The HHCAHPS training will take place on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at 12:00 PM ET.

Survey vendors who wish to retain their status as approved HHCAHPS survey vendors must have their designated HHCAHPS survey project manager attend the entire session. Registration will close at 9:00 PM ET on January 30, 2023.

Registration is also now open for the 2023 Introduction to the HHCAHPS survey self-paced training. Training materials will be available beginning on January 23, 2023. Survey vendors interested in becoming approved HHCAHPS survey vendors should review the November 1, 2022, announcement "HHCAHPS Survey Applicant Vendor Requirements" for a detailed list of requirements.

More information about the survey and the requirements for becoming an approved HHCAHPS survey vendor can be found on the HHCAHPS survey website. Vendors may also contact the Coordination Team at hhcahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 354-0985.

Participants were reminded that the next HHCAHPS data submission deadline is January 19, 2023. Home health agencies are responsible to ensure their survey vendor has submitted all the required survey data.

CMS reminded participants that home health agencies are eligible for an exemption from participating in the HHCAHPS survey for the Calendar Year 2024 annual payment update (APU) if they served 59 or fewer survey-eligible patients between April 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022. CMS noted that the exemption applies only to the patient census during the year that qualified the agency for the exemption. If the agency’s census fluctuates during the reporting year, HHCAHPS participation is still required. CMS recommended that providers contact the HHCAHPS contractor at hhcahps@rti.org or call (866) 354-0985 regarding any questions about participation requirements.