As of January 13, 2017 the Federal Register published the final rule for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) regarding changes to Home Health’s Conditions of Participation (CoPs). The changes in the new CoPs were to be effective July 13, 2017. This has now been delayed to January 13, 2018.
Changes in the new Home Health CoPs include:
1. Renaming and Renumbering three sections
General Provisions 484.1 – 484.2
Patient Care (Administration) 484.40 – 484.80
Organizational Environment (Furnishing Services) 484.100 – 484.115.
Several new standards have been combined or incorporated into the new CoPs, some standards have been eliminated and two new CoPs have been added.
Many of the changes include Infection Control, Emergency Preparedness, Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) and Patient Rights. If you are accredited by Accreditation Commission for HealthCare (ACHC), Community Health Accreditation Partner, (CHAP) or The Joint Commission (TJC) you may already be meeting some of these new requirements.
Agencies will need to update policies and procedures in order to be compliant as well as implement new processes. Contact ICS to find out more information on what your agency will need in order to be compliant.