On Monday, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized its 2027 rate announcement for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D – including a substantially higher increase to Medicare Advantage payments than the agency proposed in January. CMS estimates that its finalized policies will lead to a 2.48% average increase, or $13 billion, in […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
From the institution of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the second Trump administration made cutting down on “fraud, waste and abuse” its mantra. In home-based care, the focus on fraud has dramatically expanded to become one of the hot-button issues of the year. To me, the issue seems personal for the administrator of the […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed an advance care planning quality measure for several health care settings — a move that could leave home health providers without reimbursement for these services. The measure, designated MUC202-020, would link reimbursement to whether patients have documented end-of-life conversations. If finalized, it would require […]
A Republican member of Congress has submitted a direct request to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to investigate home health fraud and reevaluate the data underpinning the proposed 2026 Medicare home health payment rule. On Thursday, Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., submitted a letter to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz calling for CMS […]
On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued a final rule increasing hospice Medicare base rate payments by 2.6%. This is more than the 2.4% that the agency originally proposed in April. The 2026 increase in aggregate represents a $750 million jump in federal hospice spending. The aggregate hospice payment cap also […]
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Thursday that it will no longer approve funding for new Medicaid workforce initiatives for home- and community-based services. CMS plans to cut other Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) initiatives as well, including policies on continuous eligibility, which allows people to remain enrolled in Medicaid […]
New York’s tumultuous ongoing transition to a single fiscal intermediary for the state’s self-directed home care program, the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP), has caught the attention of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). CDPAP is a New York Medicaid home care program that allows eligible individuals to hire the caregiver […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has revoked guidance related health-related social needs (HRSN) through Section 1115 waivers. Industry advocates say the move is indicative of the broader administration priorities to reduce Medicaid expenditures. Broadly, states use these programs to pay for health related social services, including meals and temporary housing. Damon […]
The Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday, in a 52-48 vote. The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) stated its intention to work with Kennedy and HHS on a variety of policy priorities, with particular reference to advancing “policies that […]
In a year filled with attention-grabbing, newsworthy articles, it can be easy for some stories to fall through the cracks, no matter how compelling. As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to revisit some of the Home Health Care News stories that warrant a second viewing. These stories cover the truth […]
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