Home health providers are dealing with a number of headwinds — inflation-induced financial challenges, labor shortages, pandemic pressures and more — that will only worsen if the proposed payment adjustments for 2023 become finalized. That’s the major takeaway from a recent labor cost study from the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH). The study was […]
The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a fairly negative proposed payment rule for the home health industry on Friday. Specifically, the proposal includes a 4.2% decrease to payment rates that, if finalized, dumps cold water on an industry that’s just starting to heat up again. Though CMS’ unveiling of the proposed […]
Home health operators are still several weeks away from getting a glimpse at the proposed payment rule for 2023. Even so, they’re beginning to see signs of concern that they’ll not be getting an inflation-adjusted rate. Because of workforce investments, more expensive supplies and the overall cost increase of goods and services in the U.S., […]
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its FY 2022 home health proposed payment rule on Monday, while simultaneously announcing plans for the nationwide expansion of the industry’s value-based purchasing demo. While just a few days have gone by, home health stakeholders have already started to zero-in on several key areas — […]
The long and winding saga behind the Medicare sequestration holiday for home health providers and others has come to a close. On Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted by a 384-38 margin in favor of a continued sequestration delay. The legislation was one of two measures introduced since early March aimed at delaying […]
Home health providers are one step closer to getting a continued suspension of Medicare sequestration payment reductions. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1868 by a 246-175 vote on Friday. The bill, originally introduced earlier this month by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), pauses automatic spending cuts to Medicare and other programs for […]
U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.) introduced the Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act last week. If passed, the bill would extend the temporary suspension of Medicare sequestration payment reductions, giving home health agencies and other providers more financial flexibility headed into an uncertain 2021. Since 2014, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & […]
The ongoing expansion of Medicare Advantage (MA), a federal minimum-wage hike and additional support for front-line health care workers during the COVID-19 public health emergency. These are just a few of the industry-shaping topics that home health insiders are following going into Election Day this Tuesday. While each presidential election is important, 2020 will help […]
Although concrete details are largely unknown, in-home care providers remain on the lookout for the next coronavirus-related stimulus package. Specifics on a possible fifth stimulus package could be released as early as this week, policy experts believe. “I think that’s the question, whether or not a package comes together that everyone agrees to before the […]
Home health providers have had to navigate through a slew of regulatory changes over the past three months. Some of those changes will end up permanent, while others are bound to go away. Non-physician certification, telehealth technology and new infection control protocols are examples of long-lasting changes linked to the COVID-19 virus. Meanwhile, cash flow […]
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