Case Rate
A case rate is a fixed payment negotiated with a payer that covers all home health services for a defined case, usually an episode of set length, no matter how many visits the agency delivers. It is a common alternative to per-visit payment in Medicare Advantage and commercial contracts. Because case rates transfer utilization risk to the agency, pricing them requires reliable cost and utilization data.
Definition
A case rate is a fixed payment negotiated with a payer that covers all home health services for a defined case, usually an episode of set length, no matter how many visits the agency delivers. It is a common alternative to per-visit payment in Medicare Advantage and commercial contracts. Because case rates transfer utilization risk to the agency, pricing them requires reliable cost and utilization data.
Why it matters
Case Rate is part of the Revenue Cycle & Billing 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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