Findings reveal current audit process’ shortcomings

WASHINTON and ALEXANDRIA, Virginia—Following a series of meetings with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Members of Congress on efforts to improve and protect hospice program integrity, four national hospice organizations—LeadingAge, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) and the 

President Biden called for the nation to stand up for seniors in SOTU

WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden highlighted the value of homecare during his State of the Union Address on Thursday, March. 7. 

"Imagine a future with home care and elder care so seniors and people living with disabilities can stay in their homes and family caregivers get paid what they deserve," Biden said. "Tonight, let’s all agree once again to stand up for seniors."

Biden also discussed his goal to block continued Medicare cuts that health care as a whole has seen. 

NAHC President Bill Dombi said the recommendation would "destroy the primary Medicare benefit"

WASHINGTON—The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) voted on Jan. 11 to recommend that Congress reduce 2025 home health payment rates by 7%.

While the move was expected, advocates and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) still voiced their disappointment at the guidance. 

The Transition Board will oversee the transition to a new, consolidated organization between NAHC and NHCPO

WASHINGTONG—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) jointly announced they have developed a proposed slate of Transition Board of Directors and officers for 2024. The Transition Board will oversee the transition to a new, consolidated organization pursuant to its ratification by both associations’ Boards of Directors in an agreement to combine which is contemplated in early 2024.

Members are invited to join a town hall which cover updates and a Q&A

WASHINGTON—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) continue to jointly explore the formation of a new as-of-yet unnamed organization that combines the strengths of NAHC and NHPCO, "creating a better and more powerful advocate for the entire home care, hospice, palliative care, and serious illness community," NAHC said. 

Published annually, the Chartbook provides broad overview trends from different sectors in the home health industry

WASHINGTON—The Research Institute for Home Care (RIHC or the Institute) and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) released the 2023 RIHC Home Care Chartbook. Highlighting the role homecare plays in caring for an aging demographic, the Chartbook provides a look at the patients being served in home health, who they are demographically and clinically and the workforce that cares for them.

The award was presented at the BAYADA Hearts for Home Care’s Ambassador of the Year Awards Ceremony

WASHINGTON—BAYADA Hearts for Home Care (H4HC), a nonprofit advocacy organization made up of thousands of homecare recipients, their families and loved ones and homecare professionals, presented Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), with its Lifetime Achievement Award. This is only the second time this award has been given—the first was awarded to Mark Baiada, founder and former CEO of BAYADA Home Health Care, upon his retirement in 2018. 

Rule for 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update calls for only half of full rate adjustment to come due next year, but advocates say long-term impact still serious. Rule also changes DME resupply requirements.

WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its 2024 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate Update final rule on Nov. 1, landing on more moderate cuts than initially proposed but still enacting rate reductions beginning in 2025 that would present “serious concerns for the home health community,” according to the National Association for Homecare and Hospice.

In a 36-page document, the National Association for Homecare and Hospice outlined issues with the 2024 federal home health payment proposed rule.

WASHINGTON—The methodology chosen to determine future home health payment rates "will eventually destroy the value of the home health services benefit," the National Association for Homecare and Hospice (NAHC) said in a letter sent to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 

Newly Created Organization Would be Stronger Voice to Represent the Spectrum of Home and Community-Based Healthcare Providers

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia and WASHINTON—The Boards of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) agreed to a joint process to explore the formation of a new organization to combine the strengths of both NAHC and NHPCO and better serve members with a unified voice on behalf of the entire community of hospice, homecare, palliative care, serious illness and other care at home providers.

The briefing covered new research which highights the quality-of-life and cost savings value of the Medicare Hospice Benefit

WASHINGTON—The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), and NORC at the University of Chicago presented a Congressional briefing on new research that highlights the quality-of-life and cost savings value that the Medicare Hospice Benefit brings to patients,

WASHINGTON—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid’s (CMS) proposed rate reductions for home health could be devastating for agencies if they are codified, said Bill Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). Even worse, CMS has left a door open to demand some $3 billion in clawbacks for prior years of what it interprets as over-payments.  

CMS has proposed an additional 5.653% permanent rate cut to begin in 2024 based on the same challenged payment methodology.

Washington, D.C.—The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) filed a lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) challenging the validity of a change in Medicare home health payment that reduced rates by 3.925% in 2023 with significant additio

The bill is designed to address deep cuts made to home health by CMS during the implementation of the Medicare home health payment system

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (the Partnership) commended Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) for introducing the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 to safeguard access to essential home-based, clinically advanced health care services by preventing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing dire cuts of negative -7.85% to the Medicare Home Health Program,

Birmingham, ALABAMA—A new report released last month by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) found that Medicare spending for patients who received hospice care was some $3.5 billion less than it would if they had not gotten that care. HomeCare talked with NAHC President Bill Dombi about the report and why getting Americans on board with hospice is so important. 

NAHC critiqued CMS's attempt to communicate to stakeholders about the payment rates

Washington, D.C.—In response to a requirement of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) presented data used to determine Medicare home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2023, including the permanent and temporary rate adjustments calculated under the Patient Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) “budget neutrality” requirements.

NAHC and HCAOA have brought together industry leaders to create The Home Care Workforce Crisis: An Industry Report and Call to Action.

Washington, D.C.—The United States is facing an unprecedented crisis in developing an adequate workforce of homecare aides and nurses to care for the country’s burgeoning elderly and disabled population. It is estimated that between 2020 and 2030, the number of U.S. citizens 85 years of age or older will double, from the current 2.4 million. Such growth in the U.S. aged population exacerbates the current shortage of caregivers that over 12 million Americans of all ages rely on today.