Home Health & Hospice Week

New transmittal remedies confusion.

If you're gearing up for next year's payment changes for durable medical equipment, take note of a new missive from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

On Nov. 28, the agency released a transmittal designed to provide "further education" relating to capped rental provisions being implemented next year as required by the Deficit Reduction Act.

At a recent Home Health Open Door Forum, CMS noted that some confusion exists regarding what supplies are included--and excluded--from the provisions, which are effective Jan. 1, 2007.

Common misconception: The capped rental provision does not affect parenteral nutrition (PEN) pumps. That's because Medicare covers the pumps under the prosthetic benefit, not as a capped rental item, CMS' Joel Kaiser tells Eli.

CMS notes in Change Request 5470 that a final rule has not yet been published on the subject of the transmittal: "Although some of the statutory provisions (i.e., the length of payment caps) are self-implementing, some aspects of this instruction may change with the publication of the final rule." v

Note: The transmittal, Change Request 5470, is available online at www.cms.hhs.gov/Transmittals/2006Trans/list.asp.