What The ‘Fundamentally Contradicting’ Medicaid Access Rule Includes

The White House teased the finalized Medicaid Access Rule early Monday, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) later revealed more intricate details attached to the rule. Firstly, the timeline of the rule is now clear. Specifically: – In three years, states must “report on their readiness to collect data regarding the percentage […]

CMS’ ACO Primary Care Flex Model Could Offer Home-Based Care Providers Risk-Based Opportunity

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new voluntary model Tuesday – centered around primary care providers – that could offer home-based care providers more opportunity to dive into risk-based care. Dubbed the ACO Primary Care Flex Model (ACO PC Flex Model), it will provide one-time advanced shared savings payments and monthly […]

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 […]

In Rapidly Changing Value-Based Care Landscape, Home-Based Care Providers Facing Crunchtime

Home-based care providers avoiding the shift to value-based care are running out of time and excuses. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants 100% of traditional Medicare beneficiaries and the “vast majority of Medicaid beneficiaries” in accountable care relationships by 2030. Home health providers are already under the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) […]

CMS Releases Guidance Emphasizing More Tools, Funding To Support HCBS

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is again taking steps to increase access to Medicaid home- and community-based services (HCBS). On Tuesday, the agency provided further guidance around how states can better support HCBS programs, which are both popular and sometimes hard to navigate. “For too long, American families have struggled to […]

Home Health Industry Unscathed In Latest CMS Improper Payments Report

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its improper payment report last week. It was another win for the home health industry, which has become less of a culprit in the reports over the years. Overall, the Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) estimated improper payment was 7.38%, or $31.2 million. That was the seventh consecutive […]

CMS Keeps Home Health Providers In Payment Purgatory With 2024 Final Rule, Strikes Contentious Tone With Industry

After the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its CY 2024 final payment rule Wednesday, home health providers found themselves in a position they know all too well. Is a 0.8% aggregate payment increase better than the 2.2% decrease that was proposed? Of course. Was the rule, in its totality, effective in […]

CMS Unveils AHEAD Model, Aims To Shift Health Care To ‘Community-Based Settings’

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled a new state-focused demonstration model Tuesday. One of the model’s primary objectives is to shift health care spending and utilization more toward primary and community-based care. The States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model (AHEAD Model) will aim to better address chronic disease, behavioral […]