Non-Physician Practitioners in Colorado Can Certify Eligibility for Medicare Home Health Benefit

Posted April 2, 2020

With passage of the CARES Act., non-physician practitioners (NPPs), nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and clinical nurse specialists, finally have gained the long-overdue authority to certify eligibility for the Medicare Home Health benefit. This authority extends through the current pandemic, although CMS is formulating rules, per the CARES Act, to make the change permanent. 

Some states' licensing rules conflict with the new authority, but not Colorado's. Our state licensing rules state that “physician or other intermediate health care provider,” which includes NPs and PAs, can authorize care.