As WiAHC members know well, grassroots advocacy is critical in our efforts to influence lawmakers and policy decisions that impact home health care in Wisconsin and across the country. And there is no issue more important today than the devastating CMS-proposed home health payment cuts that if implemented would significantly reduce access for vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries and their families.

As you certainly know by now, the CMS’s CY2023 proposed payment rule would cut rates for Medicare home health services in 2023 by an unprecedented, permanent -7.69% ($1.33 billion in 2023 alone). The net result of this cut along with inflation updates is -4.2% in 2023, equaling an $810 million cut starting next year.

In addition, CMS seeks to impose an additional $2 billion in cuts as soon as 2024, which is an unjustified clawback of payments for critical healthcare delivered to seniors and people with disabilities during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. CMS also plans to add an additional $1 billion for alleged “overpayments” for 2022 services.

Fortunately, legislation was recently introduced in Congress – the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 – that would prevent proposed cuts to home health payment rates from taking effect prior to 2026. With that in mind, WiAHC would urge you to contact your Members of Congress TODAY and ask them to support this critical legislative proposal. 

Of course, when advocating for home health with your Members of Congress, it is important to ensure your message is both compelling and clearly presented. Thankfully, our national partner, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC), has made connecting with your elected representatives as easy as a few clicks on your computer or mobile device. Visit NAHC’s Legislative Action Center or simply CLICK HERE to contact your federal lawmakers on the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022. All you need to do is fill in your name and contact information and hit SEND.

Please act today to prevent CMS’s drastic cuts, which would carve billions of dollars out of the Medicare home health program, even as providers are facing numerous other challenges.