When the “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services” rule was finalized last week, the 80-20 provision stole the show, due to its unpopularity among home-based care leaders. But experts have pointed out that the rule is much more than just the 80-20 provision. “The rule, including the preamble, was over 1,000 pages, and I joke that […]
Category: Medicaid
A senior Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) official stood behind the “80-20 rule” — which has drawn major pushback from the home-based care industry — during a congressional hearing Tuesday. Last week, the “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services” rule was finalized. The impetus behind the rule is to strengthen access to home- and […]
Now that the Medicaid Access Rule has been finalized, home-based care’s company leaders have had time to digest it, and consider what it means for the future of the space. While some acknowledge the good in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) reform efforts, others are facing the grim realities tied to the […]
One policymaker is attempting to put a halt to the 80-20 rule. At the start of the week, the “Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services” rule was finalized. The 80-20 provision is, arguably, the most controversial component of the Medicaid rule. In summary, the provision calls for 80% of Medicaid payments for home- and community-based services […]
Home-based care dealmaking remains in a lull, one it hasn’t been able to shake since the historical M&A highs of 2020 and 2021. “We didn’t expect it to be that flat and that consistent for 2023,” Mark Kulik, senior managing director at M&A firm The Braff Group, said during a presentation at Home Health Care […]
In past years, Medicare-certified home health agencies and Medicaid personal care services providers have been big focus areas for government watchdogs. While there’s still plenty of oversight, the spotlight on home health and personal care providers appears to have dimmed somewhat. Instead of focusing on home health and personal care, watchdogs are increasingly targeting hospices, […]
Medicaid payment rates for home- and community-based services (HCBS) vary drastically across states, causing workforce instability and access challenges for services. That’s according to a recent report from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). MACPAC makes recommendations to Congress, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and states on issues […]
After the release of the proposed “80-20 rule” last year for home- and community-based services (HCBS), providers had plenty of time to digest. Now, they’re formulating their plans of action ahead of the proposal’s potential finalization. Broadly, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule had several components, but the most controversial […]
There’s a potential storm brewing in New York state due to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s executive budget for 2025. The budget proposal includes over $1 billion in cuts to the states’ home care programs. The move is an effort to reduce Medicaid spending. The budget proposal cuts, which was released on Jan. 16, would directly impact […]
In a State of the Union address that evoked Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln and Vladimir Putin within the first minute, President Joe Biden also made room for home-based care. After urging for higher taxes on the uber-wealthy, Biden challenged Americans to imagine a future with better access to home care. “Imagine the future of […]