Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act of 2011

Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act of 2011 - Permits a home health agency to determine the most appropriate skilled professional to conduct the initial assessment visit and to complete the comprehensive assessment for an individual who: (1) is eligible for home health services under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act; but (2) does not require skilled nursing care as long as that skilled service is initially ordered by the physician and, in the case of a referral order that includes occupational therapy, the order also includes physical therapy or speech language pathology.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2468 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2468

  To ensure that home health agencies can assign the most appropriate 
   skilled professional to conduct the initial assessment visit and 
  complete the comprehensive assessment for home health services for 
 Medicare beneficiaries requiring rehabilitation therapy under a home 
          health plan of care, based upon physician referral.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 8, 2011

  Mr. Boustany (for himself and Mr. Lewis of Georgia) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
 and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To ensure that home health agencies can assign the most appropriate 
   skilled professional to conduct the initial assessment visit and 
  complete the comprehensive assessment for home health services for 
 Medicare beneficiaries requiring rehabilitation therapy under a home 
          health plan of care, based upon physician referral.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act 
of 2011''.

SEC. 2. PERMITTING HOME HEALTH AGENCIES TO ASSIGN THE MOST APPROPRIATE 
              SKILLED PROFESSIONAL TO CONDUCT THE INITIAL ASSESSMENT 
              VISIT AND COMPLETE THE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT UNDER A 
              MEDICARE HOME HEALTH PLAN OF CARE FOR REHABILITATION 
              CASES.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding paragraphs (a)(2) and (b)(3) of 
section 484.55 of title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations or any 
other provision of law, a home health agency may determine the most 
appropriate skilled professional to conduct the initial assessment 
visit and to complete the comprehensive assessment for an individual 
who is eligible for home health services under title XVIII of the 
Social Security Act but who does not require skilled nursing care as 
long as the skilled service (for which such therapist is qualified to 
provide the service) is initially ordered by the physician and, in the 
case of a referral order that includes occupational therapy, the order 
also includes physical therapy or speech language pathology.
    (b) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in subsection (a) shall be 
construed to provide for initial eligibility for coverage of home 
health services under title XVIII of the Social Security Act on the 
basis of a need for occupational therapy.
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