Update to October 2010 Newsletter Article "Home Health & Hospice Rules Require Face-to-Face Patient Visits"

As an update to our October, 2010 newsletter article entitled "Home Health & Hospice Rules Require Face-to-Face Patient Visits," CMS has announced that although the face-to-face requirement still became effective on January 1, 2011, CMS will suspend enforcement of the face-to-face requirement until April 1, 2011.  This will give providers and physicians time to prepare for the new requirement.  Providers should not procrastinate but use this time period to educate their staff and to implement policies concerning the face-to-face requirement.