CMS Seeks Expedited Approval to Expand Home Health Fraud Review to California
CMS filed a notice seeking expedited Office of Management and Budget approval to revise information collection requirements for the Medicare home health Review Choice Demonstration (RCD), a step toward extending the program to California. RCD currently operates in Illinois, Ohio, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Florida and Texas, and subjects home health agencies to more rigorous pre-claim or post-payment review to combat improper billing and fraud. CMS cites California as a persistent hot spot for Medicare home health fraud and argues emergency action is needed to prevent continued harm to the Medicare Trust Funds. The notice, scheduled for Federal Register publication November 2, does not specify a start date for California providers and allows only a 14-day public comment period.