Home health care companies gaming Medicare Reimbursement says Wall Street Journal

A Wall Street Journal analysis of Medicare payments to home health care companies indicates that many home health care companies including the nation’s largest raise revenues by taking advantage of the Medicare incentives for in home health visits. The federal government’s Medicare program says what reimbursements are made partly by the number of in home therapy sessions a patient receives. When they get 10 visits, reimbursements double. Medicare pays a flat fee of $2,00 for nine initial visits and when the patient gets the 10th visit, they pay another check of $2200. According to the newspaper, many Amedisys patient require just enough therapy to qualify a company for the additional $2,200 There are now government investigations which have kicked off on Gentiva Health Services, LHC Group and Almost Family Inc. Jeffrey Newman represents whistleblowers.