Eli's Rehab Report

Reader Questions:

Tackle Your Home Health PPS Bundling Queries

Question: We are based in a home health agency and noticed the chart in the Vol. 8, No. 12 issue titled "Check Out Your HHA Therapy Reimbursement Tiers." Does this chart address nursing? For example, are nursing services required for the agency to get the base amounts listed in the chart or would nursing services add on amounts in addition to the rates in this chart?

Tennessee Subscriber

Answer: Everything except therapy services are bundled into the home health PPS payments. So whether you furnish five nursing visits or 50 visits, you receive the same PPS case-mix adjusted amount for your patient. Technically, the therapy visits are bundled in as well, but there are just so many pay differentials based on therapy that the end result is like getting an extra payment for nearly every therapy visit between six and 20 visits.

-- Reader Questions were reviewed by Rick Gawenda, PT, director of PM&R at Detroit Receiving Hospital and owner of Gawenda Seminars.

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