United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2002-05-06 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:GAO-02-663 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-663 P0b002ee180389a1a f:d02663 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-663 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-663 GAO-02-663 Cost analysis Health care costs Health care programs Home health care services Managed health care Overpayments Medicare Interim Home Health Payment System Other Written Product A03263 The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 significantly changed Medicare's home health care payments to home health agencies (HHAs). Under a prospective payment system (PPS), HHAs are paid a fixed amount, adjusted for beneficiary care needs, for providing up to 60 days of care---termed a "home health episode." The act also imposed new interim payment limits to moderate spending until the PPS could be implemented. Although PPS was designed to lower Medicare spending below what it was under the interim system, GAO found that Medicare's payments for full home health care episodes were 35 percent higher than estimated in the first six months of 2001. These disparities indicate that Medicare's PPS overpays for services actually provided, although some HHAs facing extraordinary costs not accounted for by the payment system may be financially disadvantaged. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-663/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-663.htm GAO-02-663 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-02-663 Other Written Product GAO-02-663; Medicare Home Health Care: Payments to Home Health Agencies Are Considerably Higher than Costs; Cost analysis Health care costs Health care programs Home health care services Managed health care Overpayments Medicare Interim Home Health Payment System Volume 111 Page 251 Volume 111 Page 467 111 Stat. 251 111 Stat. 467 Volume 112 Page 2681 112 Stat. 2681 Volume 114 Page 2763 114 Stat. 2763 Public Law 105-33 Public Law 105-277 Public Law 106-554