An extensive body of research exists highlighting the differences in post-acute care utilization between fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries and those enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA). Generally, that research has suggested that MA enrollees utilize post-acute care services less than their FFS counterparts, often with either better or equal health outcomes. A study published Friday in […]
Category: Medicare
The number of Medicare-certified home health agencies in the United States continues to dwindle, the latest data from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) reveals. While not a dramatic drop, the decrease in the home health provider ranks is important considering pending cuts from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Advocates fear […]
If finalized as is, the home health proposed payment rule for next year could lead to larger cuts than originally estimated. That’s according to an analysis from Homecare Homebase (HCHB), which pulled data from its vast customer base, representing nearly 50% of all Medicare-certified home health visits. Released on June 30, the FY 2024 home […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its FY 2024 home health proposed payment rule Friday. For next year, CMS is proposing to decrease aggregate home health payments by 2.2%, or an estimated $375 million less compared to 2023 levels. The draft is expected to be officially published in the Federal Register […]
The U.S. government is projected to accelerate its spending on home health services in 2023. Then, from 2025 to 2031, annual home health spending will grow at a rate faster than any other health care category. That’s according to new estimates from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will immediately stop enforcing the COVID-19 vaccine mandates for home health workers and other health care staff. In light of the public health emergency (PHE) ending on May 11, the Biden administration announced in early May that it planned to end vaccination requirements for federal workers […]
Home health stakeholders are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to address an alleged forecast error in the home health market basket for 2021 and 2022. Broadly, CMS calculates the expected impact of cost inflation for home health agencies annually. In order to do this, CMS relies on a forecasting methodology from […]
When it comes to legislation aimed at expanding at-home care initiatives, most have learned to temper expectations from the jump. That’s part of the reason why the new, sweeping Expanding Care in the Home Act (ECHA) casts such a wide net. When the Washington D.C.-based advocacy group Moving Health Home was formed, two of the […]
Home-based care has experienced a series of symbolic wins in 2023, many of which came from President Biden himself or his administration. But not all home-based care providers feel like victors. Home-based care is a broad term, and there is a large chunk of providers that haven’t felt the warmth from policymakers in Washington, D.C., […]
A new bill that would remove certain barriers to home-based care will soon be introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Expanding Care in the Home Act (ECHA) would, among other things, create a personal care services benefit in Medicare to give aid to beneficiaries who are unable to afford out-of-pocket payments but don’t […]
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