The House of Represenatatives released another continuing resolution to keep the government open until late March. the major health care provisions included are:
- Extends home health rural add-on to Oct. 1, 2022 but requires reforms to target areas with population density of six or fewer people
- Permanently repeals outpatient therapy cap exception process
- Reforms home health payment system on a budget neutral basis with a 30-day episode of care by Jan 1, 2020 (read: HHGM)
- Provides relief from Face to Face requirement
- Expands use of telehealth services to patients on home dialysis
- Expands use of supplemental benefits under Medicare Advantage to meet needs of chronically ill
- Expands Medicare Advantage program to include telehealth as a core benefit and not a supplemental benefit as is currently the case
- Eliminates geographical restrictions on telehealth services for victims of stroke
- Imposes a home health market basket adjustment of 1.4 percent in FY 2020 instead of estimated 2.9 percent
- Delays for two years, use of blended site neutral payment rate for LTCHs and reverts back to 2017 rate of 50 percent site neutral and 50 percent LTCH; imposes as an offset a 4.6 percent reduction in the market basket adjustment for year 2018 to 2026
- Adds biosimilars to Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program
More as we go.
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Emily Evans
Managing Director
Health Policy
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