Home health care providers in the wake of Hurricane Irma have been granted exceptions for quality reporting measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS).
Irma hit the U.S. in the second week of September, just days after the Texas coastline and Houston area was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Providers affected by Harvey were also granted the same exceptions for reporting measures in the wake of the storm.
The exceptions are granted under certain Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs to acute care hospitals, PPS-exempt cancer hospitals, inpatient psychiatric facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, renal dialysis facilities, long-term care hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers located in areas affected by Irma.
The affected areas include 67 counties in Florida within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated areas, several Puerto Rico municipalities, and four U.S. Virgin Islands county-equivalents.
Other providers located outside these areas not covered in CMS’ notice can request an exception through the applicable extraordinary circumstances procedure.
Home health agencies in the affected jurisdictions are granted exceptions to all Quality Reporting Programs (QRP) reporting requirements for the second and third quarters of 2017.
Written by Amy Baxter
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