Senators Reintroduce Home Health Telehealth Legislation

The home health industry hasn’t given up on securing telehealth reimbursement during the public health emergency. Their tenacity is being rewarded with recent legislative movement on Capitol Hill. A group of bipartisan Senators on Thursday introduced S. 1309, the new version of the Home Health Emergency Access to Telehealth (HEAT) Act under the current Congress. […]

Confirmation Delay for Next CMS Administrator Could Cause Problems for Home-Based Care Providers

It has been over three months since former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma resigned from her post. As of Wednesday, no one has officially filled the position’s void. The Biden administration’s pick for administrator, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, has yet to be confirmed by the Senate due to ongoing partisan disputes. For […]

House to Consider Bill Blocking Mandatory Cuts to Medicare

Home health providers may get continued relief from Medicare sequestration after all. On Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced new legislation — H.R. 1868 — aimed at stopping automatic spending cuts to Medicare and other programs. House lawmakers plan to consider the legislation this week, setting the stage for possible relief before a […]

House Passes $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan, Securing Relief for Home-Based Care Providers

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the final version of President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” on Wednesday. The Senate approved the legislation along party lines on Saturday. In passing this latest round of coronavirus relief, Congress gave Biden one of his biggest early political victories since taking office. The White House announced […]

2% Cut to Home Health Agencies, Other Medicare Providers Nearing Unwanted Return

Among its many provisions, last year’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act pressed pause on the government’s 2% payment cut to all Medicare-reimbursed health care providers. The “sequestration holiday” was immediately seen as a common-sense lifeline for cash-strapped home health providers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of whom had […]

As $1.9T Stimulus Bill Heads to Senate, Here’s What It Could Mean for In-Home Care

The House of Representatives passed the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion stimulus bill Saturday, which means the next step for the “American Rescue Plan” is to go through the Senate, where its provisions related to home-based care will likely be tinkered with again. Because pandemic-related unemployment benefits are set to expire on March 14, lawmakers are […]

NAHC’s Dombi: Home Care Opportunities Are on the Rise, Despite Ongoing Operational Challenges

Home care agencies have been through a turbulent year. But they’re coming out of it under a new light from the perspective of clients and potential partners. That spotlight continues to grow brighter with each passing day, too, though COVID-19 cases within home care have fluctuated as of late. Far more agencies are dealing with […]

Always Best Care, Healing Hands Share Keys to Hospital-at-Home Success for Private-Duty Agencies

When most people hear about hospital-at-home programs, they often picture ICU nurses and doctors running around their living room. But while hospital-at-home models do rely on physicians and clinical staff, successful programs also leverage the expertise of private-duty home care agencies and their veteran caregivers. In fact, when hospital-at-home models fail, it’s typically because a […]

Biden Administration Inks $230M Deal for At-Home COVID-19 Tests

The U.S. government has reached a $230 million deal to produce rapid at-home COVID-19 tests that can be purchased for $15 to $30 over the counter, the Biden administration announced Monday. The deal is with Ellume USA LLC, an Australia-based diagnostics company. For home-based care providers, testing is still paramount as the vaccine rollout continues. […]

Pandemic-Driven SNF-to-Home Diversions May Become New Norm

Nursing home occupancy rates have plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with hospitals, families and others opting for in-home care over institutional care settings. And that trend may very well become permanent, recent data suggests. Since the start of last spring, nursing home operators have faced fewer new admissions, particularly short-term rehabilitation patients. The growing number […]