Nearly nine out of 10 adults in the U.S. need help with health literacy. This makes it difficult to understand health coverage and navigate the complex health care system, leading to increased costs and adverse outcomes. This tends to be the case for home care beneficiaries, or potential home care beneficiaries, too. “Health literacy is […]
HHS
Earlier this month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the decision to dismiss a proposed class action lawsuit taking aim at home health care’s shortcomings in the U.S. The suit – first introduced in 2022 – accused the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of failing to properly […]
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra fielded questions in a House Ways & Means committee hearing on Capitol Hill Wednesday, a few of which were pointed at concerns around potential fraud in home health. Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) grilled the secretary about an apparent lack of progress on curbing certifications […]
In July, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over home health payment cuts. On Dec. 15, the Biden administration responded by asking a federal judge to throw out that lawsuit, […]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is making ownership data for all Medicare-certified home health and hospice agencies publicly available. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the news early Thursday. Anyone can now review “detailed information on the ownership of more than 6,000 hospices and 11,000 home health agencies,” […]
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has dismissed a class action lawsuit that accused the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) of failing to properly administer the Medicare home health benefit. The plaintiffs had argued the home health services required under Medicare law were wholly insufficient. Medicare law authorizes coverage […]
A new report from the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services could be the first step in further expanding the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model nationwide. Specifically, the committee believes that expanding PACE to more rural parts of the U.S. will help close gaps in long-term care. “[We] […]
Home-based care is arguably getting more attention from the U.S. president now than it ever has before. So much so, in fact, that home health providers and advocates may start looking at President Biden himself as an ally in their fight against payment rate cuts from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Biden’s […]
The Biden Administration, as part of its 2024 proposed budget, plans to allocate $150 billion for home- and community-based services over the next 10 years. That, and a plan to keep Medicare from becoming insolvent in the near-term future, were the most relevant home-based care takeaways. Allocating resources to HCBS is a way for the […]
A class action lawsuit against the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is accusing the federal agency of failing to properly administer the Medicare home health benefit. Although the lawsuit may come as a surprise to some, it doesn’t for Bill Dombi, the president of the National Association for Home […]