With the midnight, Sept. 30, deadline approaching and no deal to prevent a government shutdown in sight, one thing providers needn’t fear is a cutoff in Medicare payments, HHS makes clear in its contingency staffing plan.
             “Over the short term, home health agencies, hospices and Medicaid home care companies would see little or no change as their payments will continue without interruption,” says Bill Dombi, National Association for Home Care and Hospice VP for law. “But for those providers seeking Medicare provider enrollment, the shutdown will likely stop any progress in their program certification.”
However, whether other CMS activities related to home health, such as state surveys and appeal reviews by administrative law judges will be affected by a shutdown remains uncertain.
            The pending Medicare PPS rule for 2014, now awaiting Office of Management and Budget approval, with a required publication date is no later than November 2, also is unlikely to be postponed, Dombi predicts. But overall, Medicare and Medicaid providers can expect close to business as usual, even though several thousand CMS employees may be furloughed, he says.