The home health Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) are reminding providers that RAPs, formerly a request for anticipated payment, should not be submitted for periods of care that begin on or after Jan. 1, 2022.
 
New admissions or patients continuing care in 2022 require a one-time Notice of Admission (NOA).
 
From the MACs: "Until the January 2022 Quarterly Release is installed at the end of December 2021, RAPs for periods of care that begin on or after January 1, 2022, will be accepted for processing. Once the release is installed, RAPs for periods of care that begin on or after January 1, 2022, will be returned to the provider. If an agency has submitted a RAP and it processed for a period of care that begins on or after January 1, 2022, it must be cancelled as soon as possible. Agencies may also need to contact their billing/software vendors to address this concern."
 
HHAs with periods of care that continue from 2021 into 2022 must submit an NOA with a one-time artificial admission date that corresponds with the “from” on the new period of care in 2022, according to CMS. For example, if the start of care is Dec. 13, 2021, the first 30-day period of care runs until Jan. 11, 2022. You would need a one-time NOA on Jan. 12, 2022, for a new period in 2022. All subsequent claims would use this artificial start date.