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Home health industry groups threatened to sue the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services if it implemented a proposed $810 million reimbursement cut.
The Covid-19 pandemic challenged the U.S. healthcare system like never before particularly the segment of the industry that cares for seniors and people with disabilities. Facing a massive disruption to the status quo, providers had to quickly pivot to new models of care, such as hospital-at-home programs, which helped reduce hospitalizations and freed up hospital beds for higher acuity patients. Accelerated by the pandemic’s quarantines and lockdowns, home-based healthcare emerged as a solution with unlimited potential and rising popularity due to its proven ability to lower costs and reduce hospitalizations. Patients, providers, and payers all support this shift to home-based care. In fact, 94 percent of Medicare beneficiaries say they would prefer to recover at home following a hospital stay and 97 percent of health plan leaders believe that more care should be delivered at home. Unfortunately, just as need and demand for home healthcare are at their peak, the Centers for Medicar
Lawmakers in Washington need to recognize the importance of home health and take action to protect access to care for the country’s most vulnerable residents.