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When certifying and recertifying home health plans of care (POC), physicians and allowed non-physician practitioners (nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and physician assistants) are often met with conflicting instructions regarding how they should sign the document. Signing and dating every page of a home health certification can unnecessarily add administrative work and consume time.
Physicians are required to sign every single page of home health agency POC certifications and recertifications.
There is no CMS requirement specifying that physicians or allowed non-physician practitioners must sign every single page of home health POC certifications or recertifications. The format of the document and the way in which timely certification or recertification is obtained is left to the determination of the individual home health agency. 1,2
Medicare General Information, Eligibility, and Entitlement: Physician Certification and Recertification of Services. Accessed July 2022.
Complying with Medicare Signature Requirements MLN Fact Sheet. Accessed July 2022.