Allowed Practitioners (NP, PA, CNS)
Allowed practitioners are nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) who are permitted to certify eligibility, order services, and establish and review the plan of care for Medicare home health patients. The authority was granted permanently by the CARES Act in 2020 and operates within each state's scope of practice laws.
Definition
Allowed practitioners are nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs), and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) who are permitted to certify eligibility, order services, and establish and review the plan of care for Medicare home health patients. The authority was granted permanently by the CARES Act in 2020 and operates within each state's scope of practice laws.
Why it matters
Allowed Practitioners (NP, PA, CNS) is part of the Payers & Programs vocabulary used across home health operations, documentation, and revenue cycle. Understanding it helps clinicians, QA leads, and administrators stay aligned on care quality and compliance.
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