424.22—Requirements for home health services.
Medicare Part A or Part B pays for home health services only if a physician certifies and recertifies the content specified in paragraphs (a)(1) and (b)(2) of this section, as appropriate.
(a) Certification—
(1) Content of certification.
As a condition for payment of home health services under Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B, a physician must certify as follows:
(i)
The individual needs or needed intermittent skilled nursing care, or physical or speech therapy, or (for the period from July through November 30, 1981) occupational therapy. If a patient's underlying condition or complication requires a registered nurse to ensure that essential non-skilled care is achieving its purpose, and necessitates a registered nurse be involved in the development, management, and evaluation of a patient's care plan, the physician will include a brief narrative describing the clinical justification of this need. If the narrative is part of the certification or recertification form, then the narrative must be located immediately prior to the physician's signature. If the narrative exists as an addendum to the certification or recertification form, in addition to the physician's signature on the certification or recertification form, the physician must sign immediately following the narrative in the addendum.
(ii)
Home health services were required because the individual was confined to the home except when receiving outpatient services.
(iii)
A plan for furnishing the services has been established and is periodically reviewed by a physician who is a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatric medicine, and who is not precluded from performing this function under paragraph (d) of this section. (A doctor of podiatric medicine may perform only plan of treatment functions that are consistent with the functions he or she is authorized to perform under State law.)
(iv)
The services were furnished while the individual was under the care of a physician who is a doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or podiatric medicine. 1
Code of Federal Regulations
Footnote(s): 1 As a condition of Medicare Part A payment for home health services furnished before July 1981, the physician was also required to certify that the services were needed for a condition for which the individual had received inpatient hospital or SNF services.
(2) Timing and signature.
The certification of need for home health services must be obtained at the time the plan of treatment is established or as soon thereafter as possible and must be signed by the physician who establishes the plan.
(b) Recertification—
(1) Timing and signature of recertification.
Recertification is required at least every 60 days, preferably at the time the plan is reviewed, and must be signed by the physician who reviews the plan of care. The recertification is required at least every 60 days when there is a—
(2) Content and basis of recertification.
The recertification statement must indicate the continuing need for services and estimate how much longer the services will be required. Need for occupational therapy may be the basis for continuing services that were initiated because the individual needed skilled nursing care or physical therapy or speech therapy. If a patient's underlying condition or complication requires a registered nurse to ensure that essential non-skilled care is achieving its purpose, and necessitates a registered nurse be involved in the development, management, and evaluation of a patient's care plan, the physician will include a brief narrative describing the clinical justification of this need. If the narrative is part of the certification or recertification form, then the narrative must be located immediately prior to the physician's signature. If the narrative exists as an addendum to the certification or recertification form, in addition to the physician's signature on the certification or recertification form, the physician must sign immediately following the narrative in the addendum.
(d) Limitation on the performance of certification and plan of treatment functions.
The need for home health services to be provided by an HHA may not be certified or recertified, and a plan of treatment may not be established and reviewed, by any physician who has a financial relationship, as defined in § 411.354 of this chapter, with that HHA, unless the physician's relationship meets one of the exceptions in section 1877 of the Act, which sets forth general exceptions to the referral prohibition related to both ownership/investment and compensation; exceptions to the referral prohibition related to ownership or investment interests; and exceptions to the referral prohibition related to compensation arrangements.
[53 FR 6638, Mar. 2, 1988; 53 FR 12945, Apr. 20, 1988; 56 FR 8845, Mar. 1, 1991, as amended at 65 FR 41211, July 3, 2000; 66 FR 962, Jan. 4, 2001; 70 FR 70334, Nov. 21, 2005; 72 FR 51098, Sept. 5, 2007; 74 FR 58133, Nov. 10, 2009]