NHPCO, NAHC Boards Agree to Pursue Creation of a New, Combined Organization
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.

NAHC Speaks at Congressional briefing on Value of Medicare Hospice Benefit
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 pati

Proposed Payment Rule Could Hamper Home Health Agencies, NAHC Says

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.  


NAHC Sues CMS to Preserve Home Health Service Benefit
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

NAHC Applauds Bipartisan Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023
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

5 Questions with NAHC President Bill Dombi on the Value of Hospice

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. 

CMS Holds Stakeholder Meeting to Discuss 2023 Home Health Rate Changes
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.

New Report on Nurse and Homecare Aide Shortage Offers Practical Solutions to Solve the Crisis
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.


CMS Finalizes Nearly 4% Rate Reduction for Home Health

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 1, 2022)—The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final rule for Medicare home health payments on October 31, settling on a rate reduction of 3.925% for 2023 with additional cuts to come in 2024. That's less than the 7.69% cut initially proposed by the agency for 2023, but still a blow to providers, according to industry advocates.


Hospice VBID Model to Expand in 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 4, 2022)—On Sept. 29, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the list of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that will participate in the Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model during Calendar Year (CY) 2023, including those that will participate in the MA VBID Hospice Benefit Component (an offshoot of the larger VBID model which began operation in January 2021).