DOH Holds Home Care Cost Report Webinar

The Department of Health (DOH) held its kickoff Home Care Cost Report webinar recently to inform providers of changes in the cost report for personal care services required of Certified Home Health Agencies (CHHAs), Licensed Home Care Services Agencies (LHCSAs), and Fiscal Intermediaries (FIs).

DOH and KPMG reviewed new aspects of the report and the reporting process. Of import, DOH noted, is that the 2020 Home Care Cost Report process will be carried out with the expectation that providers should be collecting and reporting data, and this information should be accurate and complete. Unlike last year, the reporting process is no longer in a learning phase, and the reporting and post-audit process will require timely, accurate, and complete information and supporting documentation.

DOH stated that the report requires the submission of actual, not budgeted, costs. The report should be completed using the accounting methodology used for an agency’s audited financial statements. In addition, an agency is defined as an organization that operates one or more LHCSAs, CHHAs, or FIs, and agencies that operate one or more of these entities must complete certain schedules of the Home Care Cost Report for each of these entities. LHCSA and FI reporting is required to be separated by county. Many LHCSAs and FIs are authorized to provide services in multiple counties and must report separately for each county for which they are licensed for the purposes of Home Care Cost Report submissions. For CHHAs that subcontract care to LHCSAs, only the agency contracting out the services should report the associated costs as allowable on the Home Care Cost Report. FIs should note that if they closed their operations in 2021 and were operating in 2020, they must still complete the cost report or be subject to penalties.

DOH has created a new webpage on the Home Care Cost Report, which includes the kickoff webinar and other recordings and resources. Agencies may also access trainings and tutorials on the reporting platform. To learn more about the Home Care Cost Report requirement, please review LeadingAge NY's many Intelligence articles on the subject here.

Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-929-9342