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 01-01-2025)

The January 2025 release of the HH PPS Grouper software (v06.0.25) is now available in the “Downloads” section of this webpage. A summary of the changes for what is included in the v06.0.25 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 v06.0.25 software update:

• There are no software logic or interface changes for v06.0.25.

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

• Comorbidity_Groups: additions and deletions of comorbidity groups and modifications to
• low comorbidity adjustment flag for subgroups
• Comorbidity_Interactions: additions and deletions of comorbidity interactions
• Diagnosis Code_Changes: change to one diagnosis code’s clinical group assignment
• FI_Responses: updated point values for specific functional impairments
• Clinical_Groups: updated threshold value ranges for Clinical Groups

Notice Regarding Upcoming Releases of the Home Health PPS Grouper

The current version of Home Health PPS Grouper uses Java software and is currently based on Java version 8.  Support for Java version 8 will end by November 2026.  Home health agencies and their software vendors who implement the HH Grouper in a mainframe environment will be impacted by this change. CMS is preparing now to convert the programs to Java version 17.   

As with the October 2024 update, the January 2025 and subsequent quarterly releases of the HH Grouper will include two Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) Java bridge modules instead of the one that is currently delivered.  We will continue to provide the existing bridge module that utilizes the 31-bit, Java 8 Java Virtual Machine (JVM) environment.   We will also provide a new bridge module that will utilize the 64-bit, Java 17 JVM.  The Java jar file for each will continue to be compiled using Java 8.  This will preserve backwards compatibility with all existing mainframe deployments (both batch and Customer Information Control System (CICS)).  The installation guides for the program will provide notice of the changes. This will allow users to test upgrades to their systems over the next year to prepare to move to Java 17. 

The release of the HH Grouper effective October 2025, will be compiled with Java 17 and only the Java 17, 64-bit COBOL calling module will be delivered.  Providers and their software vendors should begin planning this year to ensure they are prepared for this conversion next fall. 

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.