CMS has delayed implementation of the Review Choice Demonstration (RCD) in Texas, North Carolina and Florida.
 
The delay is designed to “allow Home Health agencies to transition to the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), which becomes effective on January 1, 2020,” according to CMS.
 
CMS will monitor the transition to PDGM to determine if further delays will be needed.
 
Notification of the delay comes just weeks after CMS’ initial announcement of start dates in those states. RCD now will begin in Texas on March 2, 2020, with the selection period running from Jan. 15 through Feb. 13, 2020.
 
The demonstration will begin in North Carolina and Florida on May 4, 2020.
 
During the selection period, agencies must choose pre-claim review, post-payment review or minimal post-payment review with a 25% payment reduction.
 
Agencies that don’t make a selection by the deadline will automatically be placed in post-payment review.
 
CMS originally planned to start RCD in Texas on Dec. 2, 2019, about a month before the PDGM's effective date. RCD was slated to begin in North Carolina and Florida in March 2020.
 
The demonstration officially began in Illinois in June and Ohio in September.
 
Related link: Read CMS’ update at https://go.cms.gov/2VahMmp. Visit the Palmetto GBA portal for more information on the choices and to make selections: https://bit.ly/299qzOH