Happy Thanksgiving from the Partnership!
As we prepare to feast with our family and friends this Thanksgiving, we are reminded that home is truly where the heart is. Thanksgiving is such a special time of year to express our gratitude for all the wonderful things in our lives. For many Americans, there is nothing more important than the choice to…
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…
Remembering the Importance of Having Dad at Home for Father’s Day
On Father’s Day, families across the country reflect on the important role that their parents and grandparents play in their lives. As the American population ages, many place greater importance on spending time at home with their children and grandchildren. To many, spending time at home surrounded by loved ones is a key aspect of…
Protecting Care for our Veterans at Home
Each Memorial Day, we honor the brave servicemen and women who have lost their lives in the line of duty to defend our country and protect the liberty we cherish. Today we thank all veterans who have served and remember the nearly 1.2 million U.S. soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice since our country…
Remember the Importance of Home Health During Older Americans Month
Each May, the Administration on Aging commemorates Older Americans Month (#OAM18), an annual celebration of the aging members of our families and communities. This year’s theme is Engage at Every Age, which emphasizes that no one is ever too old to enrich their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. For the approximately 3.5 million Americans who…
Congress Must Act Quickly to Restore the Home Healthcare Rural Safeguard
Millions of older Americans depend on Medicare in order to age with dignity and comfort in their own homes. For seniors living in rural areas, the Medicare home health benefit is especially important because other healthcare options are often limited. Older Americans living in rural areas face greater healthcare obstacles than their urban counterparts. A study by…
Thanks to You, CMS Did Not Finalize the Home Health Groupings Model!
When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the Home Health Prospective Payment System (HHPPS) Rule for CY 2018, the home health community was pleased to see that the Home Health Groupings Model was not included in the final rule.
Patient Groups, Providers and Lawmakers Agree: CMS Should Withdraw the Home Health Groupings Model
Our concerns about the Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are being echoed by patient advocates, provider groups and bipartisan lawmakers! Groups ranging from the American Hospital Association to a group of 49 bipartisan members of the Senate have called the proposal “drastic” or “radical” and…
CMS Should Collaborate with the Home Health Community to Improve the HHGM
Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) released their CY 2018 proposal for the Health Prospective Payment System (HHPS) and the Home Health Groupings Model (HHGM) within it. This proposal would drastically alter the home health payment system, putting the 3.5 million Medicare beneficiaries that depend on the home health benefit at risk….
Ask Congress to Extend the Home Health Rural Safeguard Today!
As a person gets older, certain things once taken for granted become increasingly difficult. Health becomes harder to manage and appointments with doctors and healthcare providers become harder to reach, especially for seniors residing in rural areas. The Moran Company estimates the average rural patient’s travel distance to her doctor or nearest hospital is…