ECHO Home Health Care (EHHC).

ECHO Home Health Care (EHHC). The EHHC benefit provides coverage of home health care services and respite care services specified in this section.
(1) Home health care. Covered ECHO home health care services are the same as, and provided under the same conditions as those services described in § 199.4(e)(21)(i), except that they are not limited to part-time or intermittent services. Custodial care services, as defined in § 199.2, may be provided to the extent such services are provided in conjunction with authorized ECHO home health care services, including the EHHC respite care benefit specified in this section. Beneficiaries who are authorized EHHC will receive all home health care services under EHHC and no portion will be provided under the Basic Program. TRICARE-authorized home health agencies are not required to use the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) to assess beneficiaries who are authorized EHHC.
(2) Respite care. EHHC beneficiaries whose plan of care includes frequent interventions by the primary caregiver(s) are eligible for respite care services in lieu of the ECHO general respite care benefit. For the purpose of this section, the term “frequent” means “more than two interventions during the eight-hour period per day that the primary caregiver would normally be sleeping.” The services performed by the primary caregiver are those that can be performed safely and effectively by the average non-medical person without direct supervision of a health care provider after the primary caregiver has been trained by appropriate medical personnel. EHHC beneficiaries in this situation are eligible for a maximum of eight hours per day, 5 days per week, of respite care by a TRICARE-authorized home health agency. The home health agency will provide the health care interventions or services for the covered beneficiary so that the primary caregiver is relieved of the responsibility to provide such interventions or services for the duration of that period of respite care. The home health agency will not provide baby-sitting or child care services for other members of the family. The benefit is not cumulative, that is, any respite care hours not used in a given day may not be carried over or banked for use on another occasion. Additionally, the eight-hour respite care periods will not be provided consecutively, that is, a respite care period on one calendar day will not be immediately followed by a respite care period the next calendar day. The Government's cost-share incurred for these services accrue to the maximum yearly ECHO Home Health Care benefit.
(3) EHHC eligibility. The EHHC is authorized for beneficiaries who meet all applicable ECHO eligibility requirements and who:
(i) Physically reside within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or Guam; and
(ii) Are homebound, as defined in § 199.2; and
(iii) Require medically necessary skilled services that exceed the level of coverage provided under the Basic Program's home health care benefit; and/or
(iv) Require frequent interventions by the primary caregiver(s) such that respite care services are necessary to allow primary caregiver(s) the opportunity to rest; and
(v) Are case managed to include a reassessment at least every 90 days, and receive services as outlined in a written plan of care; and
(vi) Receive all home health care services from a TRICARE-authorized home health agency, as described in § 199.6(b)(4)(xv), in the beneficiary's primary residence.
(4) EHHC plan of care. A written plan of care is required prior to authorizing ECHO home health care. The plan must include the type, frequency, scope and duration of the care to be provided and support the professional level of provider. Reimbursement will not be authorized for a level of provider not identified in the plan of care.
(5) EHHC exclusions—(i) General. ECHO Home Health Care services and supplies are excluded from those who are being provided continuing coverage of home health care as participants of the former Individual Case Management Program for Persons with Extraordinary Conditions (ICMP-PEC) or previous case management demonstrations.
(ii) Respite care. Respite care for the purpose of covering primary caregiver absences due to deployment, employment, seeking of employment or to pursue education is excluded. Authorized respite care covers only the ECHO beneficiary, not siblings or others who may reside in or be visiting in the beneficiary's residence.
(f) Cost-share liability—(1) No deductible. ECHO benefits are not subject to a deductible amount.
(2) Sponsor cost-share liability.
(i) Regardless of the number of family members receiving ECHO benefits or ECHO Home Health Care in a given month, the sponsor's cost-share is according to the following table:
(1) Home health care. Covered ECHO home health care services are the same as, and provided under the same conditions as those services described in § 199.4(e)(21)(i), except that they are not limited to part-time or intermittent services. Custodial care services, as defined in § 199.2, may be provided to the extent such services are provided in conjunction with authorized ECHO home health care services, including the EHHC respite care benefit specified in this section. Beneficiaries who are authorized EHHC will receive all home health care services under EHHC and no portion will be provided under the Basic Program. TRICARE-authorized home health agencies are not required to use the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) to assess beneficiaries who are authorized EHHC.
(2) Respite care. EHHC beneficiaries whose plan of care includes frequent interventions by the primary caregiver(s) are eligible for respite care services in lieu of the ECHO general respite care benefit. For the purpose of this section, the term “frequent” means “more than two interventions during the eight-hour period per day that the primary caregiver would normally be sleeping.” The services performed by the primary caregiver are those that can be performed safely and effectively by the average non-medical person without direct supervision of a health care provider after the primary caregiver has been trained by appropriate medical personnel. EHHC beneficiaries in this situation are eligible for a maximum of eight hours per day, 5 days per week, of respite care by a TRICARE-authorized home health agency. The home health agency will provide the health care interventions or services for the covered beneficiary so that the primary caregiver is relieved of the responsibility to provide such interventions or services for the duration of that period of respite care. The home health agency will not provide baby-sitting or child care services for other members of the family. The benefit is not cumulative, that is, any respite care hours not used in a given day may not be carried over or banked for use on another occasion. Additionally, the eight-hour respite care periods will not be provided consecutively, that is, a respite care period on one calendar day will not be immediately followed by a respite care period the next calendar day. The Government's cost-share incurred for these services accrue to the maximum yearly ECHO Home Health Care benefit.
(3) EHHC eligibility. The EHHC is authorized for beneficiaries who meet all applicable ECHO eligibility requirements and who:
(i) Physically reside within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or Guam; and
(ii) Are homebound, as defined in § 199.2; and
(iii) Require medically necessary skilled services that exceed the level of coverage provided under the Basic Program's home health care benefit; and/or
(iv) Require frequent interventions by the primary caregiver(s) such that respite care services are necessary to allow primary caregiver(s) the opportunity to rest; and
(v) Are case managed to include a reassessment at least every 90 days, and receive services as outlined in a written plan of care; and
(vi) Receive all home health care services from a TRICARE-authorized home health agency, as described in § 199.6(b)(4)(xv), in the beneficiary's primary residence.
(4) EHHC plan of care. A written plan of care is required prior to authorizing ECHO home health care. The plan must include the type, frequency, scope and duration of the care to be provided and support the professional level of provider. Reimbursement will not be authorized for a level of provider not identified in the plan of care.
(5) EHHC exclusions—(i) General. ECHO Home Health Care services and supplies are excluded from those who are being provided continuing coverage of home health care as participants of the former Individual Case Management Program for Persons with Extraordinary Conditions (ICMP-PEC) or previous case management demonstrations.
(ii) Respite care. Respite care for the purpose of covering primary caregiver absences due to deployment, employment, seeking of employment or to pursue education is excluded. Authorized respite care covers only the ECHO beneficiary, not siblings or others who may reside in or be visiting in the beneficiary's residence.
(f) Cost-share liability—(1) No deductible. ECHO benefits are not subject to a deductible amount.
(2) Sponsor cost-share liability.
(i) Regardless of the number of family members receiving ECHO benefits or ECHO Home Health Care in a given month, the sponsor's cost-share is according to the following table:

Source

32 CFR § 199.5


Scoping language

None
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