Less than a week before most of the revised Home Health Conditions of Participation (CoPs) were set to take effect, CMS officially delayed them by six months.
 
The final rule posted July 7 gives agencies until Jan. 13, 2018, to comply with most of the changes. And agencies have until July 13, 2018, to begin conducting performance improvement projects related to QAPI.
 
Most of the revisions previously had been slated to go into effect July 13, 2017. But following publication of the final CoPs this year, many agencies asked CMS to delay the effective date (HHL 4/10/17). Among the reasons why: Agencies said they weren’t able to effectively prepare until CMS revised its interpretive guidelines for surveyors.
 
In the July 7 announcement, CMS said those final guidelines will be released in December. 
 
In a proposed rule about a potential delay for the effective date of the CoPs, CMS said the concerns agencies expressed “have merit.”
CMS pointed to an inquiry from the industry, which “stated that agencies were unable to effectively implement the new CoPs until CMS issued further sub-regulatory guidance related to converting subunits to branches or independent home health agencies, which would impact 216 agencies nationwide.”
 
There have not been drastic changes to the CoPs for about 20 years. 
 
Editor’s note: Read the rule announcing the delay at http://bit.ly/2tQzgJc. Visit www.homehealthline.com frequently for breaking news and more to receive additional detail about the CoP delay.