Medicare program; Home Health Prospective Payment System rate update for calendar year 2013, hospice quality reporting requirements, and survey and enforcement requirements for home health agencies. Final rule.

This final rule updates the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) rates, including the national standardized 60-day episode rates, the national per-visit rates, the low-utilization payment amount (LUPA), the non-routine medical supplies (NRS) conversion factor, and outlier payments under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health agencies effective January 1, 2013. This rule also establishes requirements for the Home Health and Hospice quality reporting programs. This final rule will also establish requirements for unannounced, standard and extended surveys of home health agencies (HHAs) and sets forth alternative sanctions that could be imposed instead of, or in addition to, termination of the HHA's participation in the Medicare program, which could remain in effect up to a maximum of 6 months, until an HHA achieves compliance with the HHA Conditions of Participation (CoPs) or until the HHA's provider agreement is terminated.