WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 13, 2021)—On a party line vote, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced the annual appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for fiscal year 2022, approving $119 billion in discretionary spending, an increase of $23 billion over the previous year.

(Discretionary spending does not include Medicare and Medicaid care-related expenses, as that is considered mandatory spending and not subject to the annual appropriations process.)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 3, 2021)—Late on July 29, U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada) John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska)—co-chairs and co-founders of the Senate Comprehensive Care Caucus—announced the introduction of the bipartisan Expanding Access to Palliative Care Act (S. 2565). Sens. Rosen, Barrasso and Baldwin also announced the introduction of their bipartisan Improving Access to Transfusion Care for Hospice Patients Act of 2021 (S.

WASHINGTON, D.C (July 16, 2021)—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and a group of like-minded organizations representing America's health providers have written a letter to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), asking them to:
•    oppose an extension of mandatory Medicare sequestration as a pay-for in any infrastructure package; and


WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 19, 2021)—At a recent recruiting event at a local high school, the health care providers present received “zero interest” from students, said Kara Allread, senior vice president and chief administrative officer of Greenville, Ohio-based Brethren Retirement Community and Brethren HomeCare. “They know we can’t compete” with retail and other industries, she said.


WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 11, 2020)—As part of the year-end legislative push, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act of 2019 (BENES Act) to address negative findings by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding survey performance by Medicare-certified hospice providers.


WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 4, 2020)—Reps. Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) and David McKinley (R-West Virginia ) have introduced legislation to prevent Medicare reimbursement cuts to health care providers through the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act (H.R. 8840) would continue a pause of 2% Medicare sequester cuts through the duration of the public health emergency. In March, Congress halted the 2% sequester cuts through Dec.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (October 19, 2020)—The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world for homecare—but also elevated the profession in the eyes of the public and lawmakers, William A. Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, said Monday as he opened the group’s annual conference.

“What has emerged is energy and enthusiasm about our future,” Dombi said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 7, 2020)—Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia) introduced the COVID-19 Hospice Respite Care Relief Act of 2020 (S. 4423), designed to establish additional flexibilities related to delivery of respite care services during public health emergencies (PHEs) such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.