CMS did not extend its moratoria on new home health agencies and new branches of existing home health agencies.
The moratoria — which covered the metropolitan areas of Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale, Detroit, Dallas, Houston and Chicago — had been extended for several six-month periods because the risk of fraud and abuse persists in those areas.
 
But CMS did not renew the moratoria beyond its expiration date of Jan. 30, says Mary Carr, vice president of regulatory affairs for the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).
 
"We are trying to get more information from CMS," Carr says. "CMS can reinstate the moratoria at any time." 
 
The moratoria on the Chicago and Miami-Dade areas had been in place since July 2013, while the moratoria on the other four areas had been in place since Jan. 31, 2014.