Coping with reduced cost limits for home health agencies.

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, together with cost-limit reductions and wage-index changes published in the Federal Register, have resulted in a substantial reduction in Medicare cost limits, particularly as they apply to hospital-based home health agencies. This article examines specific changes in home health agency cost limits, reviews strategies to identify the bottom-line impact of the Medicare cost-limit reductions, and discusses methods that may be applied to minimize the negative impact of the reduced cost limits.