Fairness in Medicare Home Health Access Act of 1999

Summary

Fairness in Medicare Home Health Access Act of 1999 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to the reasonable cost of services furnished by home health agencies to: (1) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, under specified conditions, to pay the provider of such services additional, limited payments notwithstanding per beneficiary limits for outliers; and (2) increase the per visit cost limit. Amends the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to eliminate the 15 percent home health services payment reduction in interim payments which would occur if the Secretary did not establish a prospective payment system (PPS) for such services as provided for in such Act. Amends SSA title XVIII with regard to the PPS for home health services to reduce the current 15 percent reduction in cost and per beneficiary limits to ten percent, establishing a special rule beginning in FY 2004 that restores the reduction back to its original 15 percent. Increases the per visit cost limit to 112 percent of the national median. Provides that in the case of home health services furnished to an individual who (at the time of furnishing) is under a home health agency plan of care, payment for an item of durable medical equipment shall be made to the agency separately from payment for other items and services furnished. Eliminates timekeeping requirements under the PPS for home health agencies. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Secretary should establish a nationally uniform process that ensures that fiscal intermediaries and carriers under Medicare have the training and ability necessary to provide timely, accurate, and consistent coverage and payment information to each home health agency and to each individual eligible to have payment made under Medicare.

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3 official files

• Introduced in Senate (text)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 10 September 1999

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• Introduced in Senate (PDF)

  Introduced in Senate · EN · 10 September 1999

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• Introduced in Senate

  summary · EN · 10 September 1999

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