CMS is providing the public with 30 additional days to comment on proposed changes to the home health conditions of participation (CoPs). Agencies will have until 5 p.m. EST Jan. 7, 2015, to comment.
 
CMS previously had planned to close the public comment period Dec. 8.
 
State-based and national industry organizations had sought a longer turnaround time to submit comments about the revamped CoPs, CMS announced on the Federal Register Dec. 1. “The organizations stated that they needed additional time to respond to the rule due to the complex nature of the proposed revisions.”
 
As CMS announced Oct. 6, its proposed changes pertain to four major categories: quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI), patient rights, infection prevention and control and revision of patient assessment requirements to reflect patients’ physical, mental and psychosocial conditions (HHL 10/13/14).
 
CMS initially published a proposed rule in March 1997 that would have revised the entire set of home health CoPs. Due to the significant volume of public comments and the rapidly changing nature of the home health industry at that time, this rule in its entirety was never finalized.
 
Because of the scope of the most recent proposed changes to the CoPs, CMS believes it’s important to allow “ample time” for public comment, the federal Medicare agency says.
 
Agencies can submit comments electronically by visiting http://www.regulations.gov and following “Submit a comment” instructions.
 
Agencies also can write comments and mail them to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS–3819–P, P.O. Box 8016, Baltimore, MD 21244–8016.
 
Those agencies wishing to send comments by express or overnight mail can mail them to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services, Attention: CMS–3819–P, Mail Stop C4–26–05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244–1850.
More than 20 public comments already have been submitted. 
 
Related link: View public comments on the CoPs at: http://1.usa.gov/1rNrsCl.