October 9, 2018
A Call to Action: Ask Your Lawmakers to Support Vital Home Health Legislation
Earlier this year, Congress passed a billed called the Bipartisan Budget Act, which called for the development of a new home health payment system. Under the law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is permitted to cut reimbursement rates to home health providers based solely on untested assumptions about provider behavior, rather than any actual observed behaviors.
More than half of home health providers are anticipating significant Medicare cuts as a result of this law and the newly proposed Payment Driven Payment Model (PDGM), disrupting their ability to provide continued, high-quality home care to the elderly and disabled patients who need it
Fortunately, Congress is responding to the concerns of the home health community. We have been working with bipartisan lawmakers in Congress to develop legislative solutions to improve home health payment reform to ensure beneficiary access to quality care services is not compromised for America’s growing senior population.
S.3545, introduced by Senators Collins (R-ME), Stabenow (D-MI) and Nelson (D-FL), S. 3458 introduced by Senators Kennedy (R-LA) and Cassidy (R-LA), and H.R. 6932 introduced by Representatives Ralph Abraham (R-LA), Garrett Graves (R-LA), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and Terri Sewell (D-AL), would prevent this cut, which is solely based on assumptions about provider behavior.
We are calling on advocates to ask their Senators and Representative to co-sponsor these important pieces of home health legislation. With your help, we can highlight the importance of home healthcare and protect the Medicare benefit for seniors in need.