Home health opportunities improve patient access to OT services

If you have worked in home health (HH) in the last 40-plus years, you are aware of policy barriers that can make it challenging for occupational therapy practitioners to deliver medically necessary skilled occupational therapy services to Medicare Part A beneficiaries. Combine that with current health care workforce shortages and an HH payment model with different incentives for HH agencies, and patient access to care can be even more difficult. Decades of AOTA advocacy have pushed Congress and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to recognize the role of HH occupational therapy in achieving positive patient outcomes and avoiding negative events, such as rehospitalizations and falls, and helping to ensure timely access to care. CMS is now considering policy changes that would ease delays and obstacles for beneficiaries seeking Medicare Part A HH services.