Home Health Leaders Applaud U.S. Senate for Passing Bill to Extend Medicare Sequestration Suspension

Partnership urges the House to quickly take up the Medicare Sequester Relief Act to ensure provider stability through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency

Washington, D.C. –– The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare – a coalition of home health leaders dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the program integrity, quality, and efficiency of Medicare home healthcare for our nation’s seniors – today commended the U.S. Senate for passing the Medicare Sequester Relief Act (S. 748) to provide for an extension of the temporary suspension of Medicare sequestration during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Last year, in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress temporarily suspended the 2% Medicare sequester cuts in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. However that suspension is scheduled to expire on March 31 unless Congress passes an extension.

“The Partnership strongly supports a further extension of sequester relief and applauds the U.S. Senate for passing this bipartisan measure to help stabilize our nation’s healthcare infrastructure as we continue to experience the added pressures of safely delivering care during the pandemic,” said Joanne Cunningham, Executive Director of the Partnership. “As Medicare home health providers continue to navigate the challenges of pandemic care delivery – while absorbing the impacts of the 4.36% PDGM payment cut that took effect in 2020 and again in 2021 – the sequestration relief has been of enormous value to the Medicare home health provider community and our vulnerable, homebound patient population.”

S. 748 was introduced in the Senate by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The Partnership urges the House to quickly take up and pass the Medicare Sequester Relief Act .

To read the full text of S. 748, click here.

To read a statement from Senators Shaneen and Collins, click here.

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