U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Florida, and Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, wrote letters to CMS administrator Seema Verma about the behavioral assumption rate reduction to home health payments.
 
In her Oct. 1 letter, Collins asks CMS “consider eliminating the proposed 4.36% reduction for calendar year (CY) 2021."
 
She says she’s concerned about this reduction especially since CMS acknowledged in the proposed 2021 home health payment rule that “it would be premature to release any information related to these issues based on the amount of data currently available and in light of the current public health emergency.”
 
The letter goes on to state, “I continue to believe that CMS should base these behavioral adjustments on observed evidence, rather than on assumptions of potential provider behavioral changes, and that any necessary rate increases or decreases should be phased in to limit the risk of disruption in care.”
 
Related link: To read Senator Collins' letter to CMS, visit: https://bit.ly/341YZQm.