CMS has issued blanket waivers for impacted areas in response to Hurricane Milton and updated the waivers associated with recovery from Hurricane Helene.
This includes allowing physical therapists and speech language pathologists to perform the initial and comprehensive assessment for all patients receiving therapy services, regardless of whether skilled nursing was ordered. CMS notes state requirements supersede this waiver.
Other CMS waivers include:
Reporting. CMS is providing relief to HHAs on the timeframes related to OASIS Transmission through the following actions below:
- Extending the 5-day completion requirement for the comprehensive assessment to 30 days.
- Modifying the 30-day OASIS submission requirement. Delayed submission is permitted during the PHE.
Initial Assessments. CMS is waiving the requirements at 42 CFR §484.55(a) to allow HHAs to perform Medicare-covered initial assessments and determine patients’ homebound status remotely or by record review. This will allow patients to be cared for in the best environment for them while reducing the impact on acute care and long- term care facilities. This will allow for maximizing coverage by already scarce physician, and advanced practice clinicians, and allow those clinicians to focus on caring for patients with the greatest acuity.