A bill was recently introduced to limit Medicare payment when a home health agency exceeds specific threshold limits on the average number of episodes of care. The proposed limits would be 2.7 episodes of care in non-rural areas and 3.3 episodes in rural areas. These limits would be applied in to the total number of patients a home health agency cares for, not to individual patients.

The bill, H.R. 3245, which is reportedly intended to reduce fraud, waste and abuse was introduced by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) Both are on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which shares jurisdiction over Medicare Part B with the House Ways and Means Committee.