Partnership Commends Harris Campaign Announcement to Expand Care in the Home for Older Americans 

 

WASHINGTON – The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare – a coalition of leading Medicare home health providers dedicated to fighting for access to quality care in the home – commends Vice President Kamala Harris and the Harris for President campaign’s recent proposal to cover more home care services for older Americans.

“At a time when investment in home-based care for Medicare beneficiaries is declining, the Partnership applauds plans to increase access to care in the home for more aging Americans,” said Joanne Cunningham, CEO of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare. “Americans want more care in the home, not less, and we strongly support this announcement, which aligns with our mission to strengthen, improve, and enhance the Medicare home health program.”

Today’s announcement, while welcomed by the Medicare home health community, comes at a time when home health investment and patient access are declining across the country. Following years of home health payment rate cuts since 2020, data show that fewer patients (an estimated 500,000 fewer annually than 2019) are receiving Medicare home health services. Unfortunately, divestment in Medicare home health will continue until at least 2028, unless the Administration or Congress acts to stop the cuts.

A recent analysis of Medicare home health claims data found that nearly 35% of patients directed to home health after being discharged from the hospital failed to access home health within seven days in 2022. The home health referral rejection rate has increased significantly (from 49% in 2020 to 71% in 2022), which means more patients are forced to stay in the hospital and are not able to move easily from the hospital to their homes. Further, patients who did not access home health after hospital discharge had a 41% higher mortality rate than those who gained access to home health. Ensuring greater access to home health services, therefore, is vital. 

“While we applaud plans to make more home care available to older Americans living with chronic illness and debilitating conditions, we also urge Administration and Congressional leaders to do more to protect the existing Medicare home health program that offers clinically advanced care in the home,” said Cunningham. “Something must be done to address current declines in patient access to lifesaving care in the home, starting with stopping Medicare’s planned cuts to home health in 2025 and beyond.”

For CY 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed more cuts despite troubling declines in the number of home health patients and patient visits. The Partnership has warned the permanent -4.067 percent payment cut to home health services proposed by CMS will further undermine the delivery of high-quality home healthcare services to millions of older Americans.

“Access to home health in America is getting worse, not better,” adding Cunningham. “We need leaders to stabilize the Medicare home health program by stopping the cuts to this vital program, which is a difference maker for beneficiaries needing care following a hospital stay or to avoid nursing home placement. We also welcome efforts to modernize Medicare’s home health program to do more for patients and families with the greatest need.”

The Partnership supports bipartisan legislation to prevent future cuts to home health, including cuts proposed for CY 2025. The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 (S.2137/H.R. 5159) would safeguard access to essential home-based, clinically advanced healthcare services for America’s older adults and people living with disabilities by stopping additional rate cuts and preventing any future cuts.