New Bill Seeks To Reduce Challenges For Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries, Expand PACE Model Across US

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 […]

Where The Erosion Of Non-Solicitation Agreements Keeps Providers Up At Night

The erosion of non-solicitation agreements poses a significant challenge for home care providers, potentially undercutting their business models and profitability. Non-solicitation agreements keep home care clients from poaching caregivers trained and supplied by agencies. In certain states with stricter rules against non-competes — like California and Connecticut — the lines between non-solicitation and non-compete agreements […]

The Path For Occupational Therapy To Lose Its ‘Second-Tier’ Status In Home Health Care

If a senior or homebound patient is eligible for home health care, there are a number of caregiving professionals who can open a case and begin an assessment. Those include nurses, physical therapists and others. One profession that is not on that list is an occupational therapist. However, a new proposed bill could change that. […]

Lawmakers Rubio, Carper Introduce Bill To Expand Hospital-At-Home Care In US

Two senators introduced a bill Thursday that would create a pilot program aimed at expanding the scope of hospital-at-home care in the U.S. Dubbed the At Home Observation and Medical Evaluation (HOME) Services Act, the bill was introduced specifically by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.). Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) was an original […]

Home Health Industry Leaders Scoff At ‘Distorted Picture of Reality’ Painted By MedPAC

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended that the Medicare base payment rate for home health care be reduced by 7% for CY 2025. The recommendation is another chapter in the contentious relationship between the commission and the home health industry. It also recommended that Congress eliminate any payment updates for hospice providers in 2025. […]

New Legislation Offers Hope For Expanding HCBS Across More States

Over the past several years, many states have strengthened their home- and community-based services (HCBS) programs by covering more services and increasing rates. Now, over a dozen members of Congress are trying to give states additional funding to help expand those HCBS programs further. “A vast majority of seniors and people with disabilities would prefer […]

Cigna To Shed Certain Prior Authorization Requirements, May Benefit Home-Based Care Providers

In an attempt to lower administrative burden, Cigna Healthcare — the health insurance arm of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI) — announced that it is removing nearly 25% of medical services from its prior authorization requirements. Broadly, prior authorization is the process that occurs when a health care provider requests a patient to receive a […]

Proposed Minimum Wage Hike For Health Care Workers Could Hurt Home-Based Care Providers

New legislation that would establish the first minimum wage requirement for health care workers advanced in the California State Assembly earlier this month. Although the news will be greeted warmly by caregivers in the Golden State, experts in the home-based care space are worried the minimum wage increase will have adverse effects on providers. “It […]