Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare Applauds Women Senators for Supporting Medicare Home Health Benefit

Eight women Senators – led by Sen. Debbie Stabenow – express concern that “significant reductions” in home health reimbursement are having a “devastating impact on Medicare patients”

Washington, D.C. – The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (the Partnership) today commended Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and seven of her Senate colleagues for sending a letter on October 27 to President Joe Biden urging his Administration to continue protecting Medicare beneficiaries’ access to home health care. The letter is co-signed by Senator Stabenow and Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH).

“We strongly support the Medicare home health benefit, which provides vital services to beneficiaries across the country, creating value for the Medicare program by serving patients in lower cost settings while allowing them to receive high-quality skilled care. Home health services are essential to increasing the health, safety, and quality of life for beneficiaries and their families. We are concerned that significant reductions to home health care reimbursement would create access to care issues for Medicare beneficiaries,” the Senators wrote.

“For CY 2024, CMS has proposed a further -5.653 percent permanent adjustment to the 30-day base payment rate, resulting in a significant and concerning -9.36 percent permanent reduction. This year’s Medicare cut is on top of $3.7 billion in cuts to the Medicare home health program since 2020. These cuts are having a devastating impact on Medicare patients who rely on these services to stay in their homes while recovering and rehabilitating from serious conditions,” the letter continues.

Senator Stabenow has been a steadfast advocate for the home health benefit, introducing the Preserving Access to Home Health Act (S. 2137/H.R. 5159) with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) earlier this year.

“The Partnership commends Senator Stabenow and her female colleagues in the Senate for calling attention to the importance of home health to American families across the country and the need for Medicare to consider the impact cuts to home health will have on access to care for beneficiaries,” said Joanne Cunningham, CEO of the Partnership.

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