Arguing that patients could lose access to important services or experience unacceptable delays, a coalition of national organizations advocating for elders sent a letter to CMS Administrator Donald Berwick urging for a six-month transition period relative to the physician face-to-face encounter requirement.
The 26 organizations asking for the delay include AARP, Alzheimer’s Association, American Hospital Association, American Nurses Association, National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA).
The transition period requested, according to the letter, urges that home care and hospice be held harmless while other providers, patients, and caregivers would become better educated on the new rules. Meanwhile, CMS could work out operational issues.
The full letter to Administrator Berwick is available here.
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