Medicare contractors have identified an incorrect payment calculation affecting home health claims that would be paid low utilization payment adjustments (LUPAs).
In a preventative measure, Medicare contractors are withholding all home health LUPA claims with "Through" dates on or after January 1, 2014 until Medicare systems are corrected. CMS is expecting this correction to occur in early February, 2014.
More from the NAHC Report:
In today’s MLN Connects, CMS announced a hold on LUPA payments. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has initiated inquiries with CMS on this matter. Below is the item as it appeared in MLN Connects:
Temporary Hold of Home Health LUPA Claims
Medicare contractors have identified an incorrect payment calculation affecting home health claims that would be paid low utilization payment adjustments (LUPAs). To prevent these claims from paying incorrectly, Medicare contractors will hold all home health LUPA claims with "Through" dates on or after January 1, 2014 until Medicare systems are corrected. This correction should occur in early February, 2014.
Home health agencies do not need to take any action. Medicare contractors will release the claims as soon as the correction is complete.
CMS representatives provided more information to NAHC staff on the on the LUPA payment hold. The system problem that CMS experienced meant that the payment of LUPAs would be generally wrong. CMS explained to NAHC that they would just not be right, implicating all factors in the LUPA payment calculation.
A correction date is now set for February 10.
Any new developments will be reported in future issues of NAHC Report.
