How To
Quick Guide: 2025 Home Health Regulations at a Glance
Jul 31, 2025
by
CareBestie
To make sense of it all, we pulled together a quick-reference table. This isn’t policy-speak—it’s a plain-English guide to what actually changed, who needs to care, and what to do about it. If you're short on time, start here:
Regulation / Policy | What Changed in 2025 | Who It Affects | What You Should Do | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
HHVBP Payment Adjustments | 2025 is the first year that Medicare is giving bonus payments or penalties based on how agencies performed back in 2023. The scores focus more on whether patients stayed out of the hospital and how much their function improved. | All Medicare-certified agencies | Track your scores. Train on discharge goals. Prevent unplanned ER visits. | |
OASIS-E1 + All-Payer Reporting | A new version of the OASIS form started in January. It removes a few questions and adds one about COVID vaccination. Starting July 1, agencies must fill out OASIS for all eligible patients, not just Medicare. | Field clinicians, QA teams | Update workflows. Submit for all patients. Test before July. | |
CMS Star Ratings Changes | Star ratings now include new public measures for patient function and care coordination. The way hospitalizations are counted also changed — now focusing only on preventable ones that happen while the patient is on service. | QA staff, therapy leads | Improve discharges. Review PPH cases. Coordinate info transfers. | |
TEFCA + HTI-2 Interoperability | The federal government launched a national system to help health providers share data safely. Agencies are not required to join yet, but vendors are expected to start connecting. There are also new rules about when you must share patient information electronically. | Agency leadership, IT, EHR vendors | Ask vendors about TEFCA. Improve how you share data. Update policies. | |
ICD-11 Transition Prep | The U.S. has not switched to ICD-11 yet, but planning is underway. This new coding system is more detailed and digital-friendly. Coders and software vendors should start preparing. | Coders, clinical documentation teams | Begin staff education. Track updates. Improve specificity. | |
PDGM and LUPA Adjustments | Medicare made small updates to home health payment rates. Some visit thresholds were lowered. Certain diagnoses and comorbidities changed under PDGM. A few counties were reclassified, which affects pay rates in those areas. | Billing and finance teams | Load 2025 rates. Review LUPA changes. Plan for new wage index areas. | |
New Acceptance Policy CoP | Agencies must now have a written policy that explains how they decide which patients they can safely accept. They also must clearly share what services they offer and any limits (like waitlists or therapy-only restrictions). | Admin and intake teams | Write policy. Train staff. Post services online. | |
Telehealth F2F Flexibility Extended | Doctors and nurse practitioners can continue to use video calls to do the face-to-face visit that is required before starting home health. This flexibility now lasts until at least September 30, 2025. | Physicians, referral liaisons | Use telehealth when needed. Confirm documentation mentions video. |
If this feels like a lot, you are not alone. Most of these changes are not designed to trip you up. They are meant to push the industry toward better coordination, clearer data, and more accountable care. Agencies that stay organized, train early, and adjust their workflows now will be the ones that move through 2025 with the least stress and the most stability.
