A report by the HHS OIG found that 24 counties had home health care outlier payments—additional payments for beneficiaries that incur unusually high costs—that were at least twice the national average for three or more of the payment characteristics reviewed.  In addition, the report found that Miami-Dade County accounted for 52 percent of all home health care outlier payments despite housing only 2 percent of Medicare beneficiaries.  The report recommends that the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) continue efforts to institute a cap on outlier payments, review providers with aberrant payment reportings, and strengthen enrollment standards for home health providers.

Full report: Aberrant Medicare Home Health Outlier Payment Patterns in Miami-Dade County and Other Geographic Areas in 2008 (PDF | 931.55 KB)

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Inspector General. (2009). Aberrant Medicare home health outlier payment patterns in Miami-Dade County and other geographic areas in 2008.