A group of policymakers has introduced legislation aimed at strengthening the long-term care workforce. The Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act was introduced on Tuesday by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), along with Sens. Bob Casey (D-Penn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.). The impetus behind the bill is the instability in the caregiver workforce, which […]
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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized a rule that will result in a 3.7% positive payment adjustment for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in 2025. According to an analysis done by the private investment banking company Stephens, rates are expected to remain virtually unchanged, with a slight decrease of 0.16%. This marks the […]
Individuals who are dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid make up a sizable portion of the overall home-based care population. Too often, though, this dual status comes with frustrating challenges around care plans and coordination. Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday hopes to reduce some of those frustrations while also creating new […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) nursing home staffing proposal has been a dark cloud over the industry. Some believe it could spell trouble for home health care as well. In September, CMS released a proposal that would require nursing homes to implement a minimum staffing standard, if finalized. The proposal introduces a […]
Access to home- and community-based services (HCBS) has increased over the last few years. But, despite some of the spotlight that the current administration has shone on HCBS, there is still a lot of work to be done to unlock the full potential of these services. “The reality of the funding aspect of Medicaid does […]
Any day now, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will release the 2024 home health final payment rule. In anticipation, home health providers and advocates have been appealing to Congress, educating, calling to action on social media and more. All of these efforts are the final push from an industry that has been […]
During the comment period for the 2024 home health proposed payment rule, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) received a host of responses from providers, industry advocates and other home-based care stakeholders. Chief among their concerns was the impact that the rule – if finalized in its current form – would have […]
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new voluntary nationwide dementia care model on Monday. Dubbed the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, its goal is to “support people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers.” But the ramifications of the new model, which is set to go live on July […]
There are a number of key issues that home-based care providers looking to navigate legal and regulatory hurdles need to keep their eye on – some old, and some new. In some areas, it will be important for providers to increase their advocacy efforts, like when it comes to a potential ban on non-competes, Angelo […]
According to the most recent data, an estimated 5.8 million people utilize home- and community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS). Medicaid is the primary payer for LTSS. The U.S. spent over $400 billion on LTSS in 2020, nearly 10% of all health care expenditures. More than half of that spending went toward home- and community-based […]