Month: September 2022

Further Improvements to Find-An-Agency Search

The Alliance’s Find-An-Agency search is now mobile-responsive and has several other enhancements. Check it out at http://www.thinkhomecare.org/agencies.

In March 2021, the Alliance re-launched its Find an Agency Search to help families connect with home care, home health, and hospice agencies. Last week, we gave the system an upgrade with two important new features:

  1. The search automatically reformats to all devices, including phones and tablets.
  2. Clicking on an agency’s name opens its full profile.

Try it yourself at: www.thinkhomecare.org/page/agencies.

The search is fast and intuitive, allowing users to quickly filter agencies by geography, services offered, agency type, and accreditation status (or any combination of those factors). Alternatively, users looking for a specific agency may search for it by name.

Results update immediately, as users select criteria, and the search counts the number of agencies shown at any given time.

To test the search for yourself, visit www.thinkhomecare.org/agencies. Questions? Contact me at tmeyer@thinkhomcare.org.

Urge Congress to Support the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022

CMS released their annual proposed rule for Medicare home health services, which includes a proposed reduction to payment rates, and an additional $2 billion in “clawback” cuts to home healthcare services for CY2023.

Please use the action alert below to write to your member of Congress urging them to support The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022.

In June, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released their annual proposed rule for Medicare home health services, which includes a proposed 7.69% reduction to payment rates, and an additional $2 billion in “clawback” cuts to home healthcare services for CY2023. With home care providers already facing an unprecedented workforce shortage, leading many to turn away patients due to lack of staff, inflation, and exceedingly high gasoline prices, now is not the time to cut payment rates.

In response, lawmakers moved quickly to prevent this proposed rate cut that would have a devastating effect on the industry. In August, bipartisan lawmakers introduced The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 (S.4605/H.R.8581). would delay the 7.69% payment cut proposed for 2023, which would total $1.33 billion in 2023 alone. The bill would also block additional cuts of more than $2 billion as soon as 2024 due to an unjustified “clawback” of payments for critical home healthcare services delivered to seniors and people with disabilities during the pandemic. If the rule were to move forward, up to 45% of providers in Massachusetts will have an overall margin below zero. The Preserving Access to Home Health Act would reduce that impact to just 26% of HHAs, saving countless of agencies across the state.

Patients currently face extensive access challenges and the CMS proposed rule will only exasperate the problem. Home health leaders have consistently outlined concerns related to CMS’ methodology in proposing these payment adjustments while also highlighting significant increases in labor and supply costs across the home health community.

Please use the action alert below to write to your member of Congress urging them to support The Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 (S.4605/H.R.8581).

Advocate On This Issue