Home care providers one step closer to securing moratorium on Medicare cuts

Home healthcare providers are urging the Senate to quickly pass legislation that would extend the suspension of mandatory cuts to Medicare until the end of this year.

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1868, which extends the temporary suspension of mandatory 2% cuts to Medicare — known as sequestration — until Dec. 31. The bill also waives pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) requirements under the recently signed American Rescue Plan Act, which stipulates any new legislation cannot increase the budget deficit or reduce the surplus. Similar legislation is now before the Senate Finance Committee.

“With the value of home health becoming increasingly evident during the COVID-19 public health emergency, it is critical to ensure both patient access and provider stability by preventing across-the-board cuts from going into effect,” Joanne Cunningham, executive director of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH), said in a statement.

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