You are Here: Home Page > Home Care Cost Report > FAQs from the Lessons Learned Outreach Session

FAQs from the Lessons Learned Outreach Session

FAQs Also available in Portable Document Format (PDF)

FAQs from the 2022 Home Care Cost Report Lessons Learned Webinar held on March 28, 2024
General
Q.1. When will the 2023 Home Care Cost Report be available to begin the submission process and when is it due this year? A.1. DOH anticipates that the 2023 Home Care Cost Report will be available within the Web-based Tool by the end of May or early June 2024. It is tentatively scheduled to open May 31, 2024, and subsequently due August 30, 2024, similar to prior years. Further communications will be forthcoming.
Q.2. Where can providers send feedback and suggestions regarding the Web-based Tool and Home Care Cost Report for future reporting years? A.2. Providers are encouraged to send all suggestions and feedback to the following email address: us-advrisknyshc@kpmg.com.
Q.3. In the past, providers have relied on manual entry when submitting the cost report, which requires a large amount of time. Will providers be able to upload a cost report instead of relying on manual entry? A.3. Uploads of data reports is not currently an available feature, but we recognize the concern, and will continue to look into future modifications if feasible.
Audit Process
Q.4. If agencies are audited year-over-year, is it possible to have the same audit team assigned to help avoid repetitive explanations? A.4. When assigning audit teams, we make every effort to assign consistent auditors year-over-year to help drive audit efficiencies; however, we cannot guarantee that the same audit team will be assigned.
Cost Reporting
Q.5. Will the new Minimum Wage Schedule 20 be required at the agency-level or for each entity, i.e., FI, LHCSA, and/or CHHA? A.5. In the 2023 Home Care Cost Report year, the Department is requesting a sample of 30 employees agency-wide, not by entity. Within the Web-based Tool, there will be a drop-down menu option to indicate the type of entity (FI, LHCSA, or CHHA) for each employee, as applicable. In this first year of data collection, the Department is requesting a sample of 30 employees. Please note this is subject to change in future submissions.
Q.6. Will the Department be holding a separate conference call to discuss the Minimum Wage increase and its impact on the rate? A.6. DOH will not be holding a separate webinar to discuss the Minimum Wage increase and subsequent rate impacts. Please refer to the DAL, dated March 22, 2024 for the calculation details, and if there are specific questions related to this topic, please reach out to personalcare-rates@health.ny.gov or CHHA-Rates@health.ny.gov.
Q.7. What is considered "medical supplies" when reporting cost on the Cost Report and where do these costs get reported? A.7. Medical supplies include materials, such as masks, gloves, syringes, needles, medical monitors, first aid equipment, etc. that are used by Direct Care workers to provide care to patients. These items should be reported on Schedule 4 (Program Administration costs), Row 018, Column 003, and on Schedule 3 (all costs) under Column 006 and row depending on service type. Please refer to pages 24 through 28 of the Home Care Cost Report Instructions for additional guidance.
Q.8. Please explain Workers' Recruitment & Retention (WR&R) and where it is captured on the Cost Report. A.8. WR&R is the revenue received through the WR&R rate add-on in accordance with Section 367-q of the Social Services Law and Public Health Law 3614 (Sections 8 and 9). This additional revenue is intended to help providers recruit and retain employees through incentive programs. There are numerous examples of how employers can choose to spend this revenue, such as overtime pay, retention or hiring bonuses, wellness programs, and employee referral awards. WR&R should be included in Column 003 on Schedule 3. Please refer to the Home Care Cost Report Instructions for additional guidance. Additionally, while there may no longer be a discrete itemization for WRR provided on contracting information from Managed Care/MLTC plans, WRR reimbursement is still included within the Managed Care/MLTC plan payments to providers, and as such must be reported as requested within the Home Care Cost Report (HCCR). The Department clarified exceptions to WR&R rate add-ons in the 2022 Cost Report Instructions on page 16.
Q.9. For LHCSA entities, where should the service statistics and costs related to Nursing Supervision and Nursing Assessment be reported as these services are not reimbursed separately? A.9. Further clarification on the reporting of Nursing Supervision and Nursing Assessment statistics and costs will be included in the updates to the 2023 Cost Report Instructions and covered during the Kickoff Webinar in June 2024.