Issued by: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

Issue Date: August 07, 2020

6-10-2025 Home Health PPS Grouper Software (HHGS) Package (for claims starting 01-01-2025) – Interactive GUI Compatible with Java 17 and Higher

Due to recent changes involving Oracle's decision to discontinue commercial support for JavaFX 8, the Home Health Grouper Interactive GUI for the January 2025 version 6.0.25 has been replaced to be compatible with Java version 17 and higher. 

Note that no immediate action is required for users in which the Interactive GUI is still functioning; however, effective October 1, 2025, the Grouper will be optimized exclusively for Java 17 and above.

Home Health PPS Grouper Software (HHGS) Package (for claims starting 10-01-2025)

The October 2025 release of the HH PPS Grouper software (v06.1.25) is now available in the “Downloads” section of this webpage. A summary of the changes for what is included in the v06.1.25 HH PPS Grouper software update is listed below.

In November 2018, CMS finalized a case-mix classification model, the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), effective beginning January 1, 2020. The PDGM, or Home Health PPS Grouper Software (HHGS), relies more heavily on clinical characteristics and other patient information to place home health periods of care into meaningful payment categories and eliminates the use of therapy service thresholds. In conjunction with the implementation of the PDGM, there will be a change in the unit of home health payment from a 60-day episode to a 30-day period.

The following reflects the changes included in the v06.1.25 software update:

• The Java 8 requirement no longer applies; a minimum of Java 17 is required to run v06.1.25
• There are no additional logic or interface changes for v06.1.25

The following tables impacting grouping logic and HIPPS code assignments are updated effective October 1, 2025. The following Grouper tables are modified (see details in the Summary of Changes document provided with the software):

• Diagnosis Codes effective October 1, 2025
• Addition of new diagnosis codes with clinical group and comorbidity assignments
• Deletion of diagnosis codes, as applicable
• Modification of diagnosis code descriptions, as applicable
• Unacceptable principal diagnosis code changes
• Unspecified diagnosis code changes
• Code First diagnosis code changes

Notice Regarding Upcoming Releases of the Home Health PPS Grouper

The October 2025 version of Home Health PPS Grouper has been upgraded to Java software version 17.  Home health agencies and their software vendors who implement the HH Grouper in a mainframe environment are impacted by this change as well. CMS had previously notified users of this upgrade.

With this release, one Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) Java bridge module is provided that will utilize the 64-bit, Java 17 JVM environment.  The installation guides for the program provide notice of the changes.

The Java jar has been developed and tested using Java 17; Java 8 support is no longer available as of the v06.1.25 October 1, 2025 release.

Questions about the Java 17 conversion can be sent at any time to the resource mailbox HHGrouperQuestions@cms.hhs.gov.   

Support for the HH-PPS Grouper Software

Additional information can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)

For related questions, please use the following contacts:

• Email: HHGrouperQuestions@cms.hhs.gov: Contact for questions with HH PPS Grouper

Note:
Please do not submit Protected Health Information through this email system. It is not necessary to send personally identifiable data to demonstrate your question or concern.

Home Health PPS Grouper Software Package (for claims through 12-31-2019)

Archived versions of the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Grouper are available for download. The HH PPS Grouper software will only work for OASIS submissions with an assessment completion date from through December 31, 2019. Effective January 1, 2020 the Home Health Patient Driven Grouping Model, or revised Home Health PPS Grouper Software (HHGS), will be used to process Home Health claims.

HHS is committed to making its websites and documents accessible to the widest possible audience, including individuals with disabilities. We are in the process of retroactively making some documents accessible. If you need assistance accessing an accessible version of this document, please reach out to the guidance@hhs.gov.

DISCLAIMER: The contents of this database lack the force and effect of law, except as authorized by law (including Medicare Advantage Rate Announcements and Advance Notices) or as specifically incorporated into a contract. The Department may not cite, use, or rely on any guidance that is not posted on the guidance repository, except to establish historical facts.