The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) — particularly during the carefree summer months — has a reputation for being somewhat of a killjoy.
The reason why is, if you’ve been in this business for any length of time, you know that the powerful agency tends to drop its big regulations at the most inconvenient of times — say Friday afternoons and just before holidays.
To the last point, everyone remember the fright CMS gave us last Halloween when it dropped the final home health rule? Talk about scary …
It seems that just when you’re about to head out for that long-awaited night out or pack up the car for a weekend get-away, you catch that email regarding a CMS rule. (I can’t speak for anyone else, but if you’re a journalist, that likely means it’s time to ask for forgiveness from loved ones and friends. You’ve got a story to write.)
Now we’re on the eve of another proposed home health rule and stakeholders are in wait-and-see mode, bracing for the regulation to come down at any moment.
This year, in particular, the looming proposed rule is a source of anxiety. There’s a good chance the second half of the permanent behavioral adjustment will be in the measure, along with additional cuts. It doesn’t look pretty.
As any seasoned home health advocate does, Joanne Cunningham, CEO of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare, took a look at the status of the proposed rule before gearing up for her upcoming weekend plans. Fortunately, she told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse on Thursday, the CMS regulation has not passed the Office of Management and Budget, which means that it likely will not be surfacing Friday.
Another weekend saved, it appears, from the big news. I don’t know about you, but I’m going to thoroughly enjoy some time off work on Friday, the pool on Saturday and my barbecue Sunday. Because who knows what next weekend will be like?
Liza Berger is editor of McKnight’s Home Care. Email her at [email protected].
