Posts

What the Home Health Rule Means For Providers & Patients

Despite the concerns expressed by more than 200 bipartisan Members of Congress, leading senior advocacy organizations, patients, and providers, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) chose to cut Medicare home health payments to the fullest extent allowed by the Affordable Care Act. These cuts, at 3.5% per year, total an unprecedented cut to…

READ MORE...

November is National Home Care & Hospice Month

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and many Americans will be making their way home to spend quality time with family and friends. And while there is much to be thankful for, perhaps “home” might be the most important of all. November is National Home Care and Hospice Month, a time dedicated to preserving…

READ MORE...

Lawmakers and Advocates Speak Out Against Proposed Home Health Cuts

In June, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a draft regulation that proposes to deeply cut Medicare funding for home healthcare services. Cuts of this severity could threaten the delivery of quality skilled home health services for Medicare’s most vulnerable beneficiaries. As home healthcare providers and patients wait to see whether…

READ MORE...

Preparing Home Health Patients for Natural Disasters

With the start of Hurricane season, we are reminded yet again of the importance of emergency preparedness for the home health sector. While hospitals and shelters help to protect many individuals in the event of a natural disaster, homebound patients often continue to rely on their home health providers to deliver the care they need…

READ MORE...

INFOGRAPHIC: Home Health Patients versus All Medicare Beneficiaries

While all Medicare beneficiaries are in need of healthcare services, home healthcare beneficiaries are typically more vulnerable than the average Medicare patient. They are older, more likely to live alone, have fewer financial resources, and suffer from more chronic health conditions. In recent years, the home health benefit has been repeatedly hit with spending…

READ MORE...

Caring For Our Fellow Americans

Tomorrow is the 4th of July, a day to celebrate democracy, community, and to recognize the efforts of those that serve at home and abroad. But Independence Day also allows for reflection on the meaning of patriotism. A patriot understands the importance of both country and community, and cares deeply for the welfare of others….

READ MORE...

Congress Repealed the Medicare Home Health Copayment Because It Increased Costs. So Why Are They Considering It Again?

In 1972, Congress passed an amendment repealing a 20-percent copayment to beneficiaries who received home healthcare under Part B citing copayments as “a financial burden to many elderly persons living on marginal incomes.”  The coinsurance requirement lead to increased hospital costs and was found to discriminate against patients. Similarly, our nation’s 3.5 million Medicare…

READ MORE...

Letter to President Obama: Support Program Integrity Reform Instead of Across-the-Board Cuts and Higher Costs for Seniors

The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare supports program integrity reforms in the Medicare program specifically targeting fraud and abuse to prevent these behaviors before they can occur. As a member of the Fight Fraud First! coalition, the Partnership is working with others to ask policy makers to make every effort to eliminate waste, fraud…

READ MORE...

CMMI Director Touts Value of Home Health

In a hearing before the Senate Finance Committee last week, CMS’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) Director, Dr. Richard Gilfillan, was the sole witness at a recent Senate Finance Committee hearing on ways to reform Medicare and Medicaid.  In his written testimony and during the hearing, Dr. Gilfillan sited the value of home…

READ MORE...

Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine Focuses on Home Health

Last month, the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine (CCJM) partnered with the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation to release a supplement to the CCJM, which examined the critical role home health has in the nation’s healthcare delivery system. Leading medical experts and home health professionals presented outcomes from innovative approaches to home health…

READ MORE...

CATEGORIES

ARCHIVES

Archives