EXHIBIT 1.
Payment adjustments for home health agencies serving rural Medicare beneficiaries, 2001–22
| Effective date | Rural add-on payment | Associated policy |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2001–Apr 2003 | 10% | Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000 |
| May 2003–Mar 2004 | 0% | —a |
| Apr 2004–Mar 2005 | 5% | Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 |
| Apr 2005–Dec 2005 | 0% | —a |
| Jan–Dec 2006 | 5% | Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 |
| Jan 2007–Mar 2010 | 0% | —a |
| Apr 2010–Dec 2016 | 3% | Affordable Care Act of 2010 |
| Jan–Dec 2017 | 3% | Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 |
| Jan–Dec 2018 | 3% | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 |
| Jan 2019–Dec 2022 | Varies based on population density and home health utilization and phases out over 2–4 years | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 |
SOURCE Authors’ compilation. NOTES The rural add-on payment amount represents a percentage increase added to standard sixty-day episode and per visit payments for home health care to home health agencies that serve rural Medicare beneficiaries. For 2019, the payment amount was 1.5 percent for rural counties with high home health utilization, 4.0 percent for low-density rural counties without high home health utilization, and 3.0 percent for all other rural counties. Add-on payment amounts drop by 1 percent annually starting in 2020, until they are phased out. The amounts for 2020–22 are planned and will go into effect unless additional legislation is passed that amends them.
Not applicable.