Call Nebraska's Congressional Delegation and Ask Them to OPPOSE Proposed 7.69% Cuts to Medicare Home Health Reimbursement Rates

In its proposed final rule for CY2023, CMS is proposing a 7.69% cut in reimbursement rates for Medicare home health services. With current inflation rates, the impact would more realistically be 16-17%. These permanent cuts would take effect January 1, 2023. Congress requires budget neutrality with the Patient Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) home health payment system. Congress clearly intended for stability in this transition, aiming to avoid cuts to home healthcare. Instead of budget neutrality, CMS has instituted an unauthorized rebasing of home health payments, resulting in billions of dollars in cuts.

Click here to read about the impact on Nebraska home health providers, including more than $5.3 million in clawbuck cuts that would take effect in 2024.

The Nebraska Association for Home Healthcare and Hospice staff and members met on August 24th with Congressman Flood’s staff to ask for his vote in support of H.R. 8581. A September 13th meeting is scheduled with Congressman Smith and members in his district. Meetings are being coordinated with Senator Fischer, Senator Sasse and Congressman Bacon.

Please ask your employees, patients and anyone else supportive of home care and hospice to call Nebraska’s Congressional delegation. Ask them to vote in favor of the Preserving Home Health Act has been introduced in the Senate (S.4605) and House of Representatives (H.R.8581) to request that CMS does not implement cuts.

When calling our Congressional delegation, the message should be brief. Here are suggested talking points:

• I am [your name] from [agency/company] located in [city, state]. I am calling to ask [Senator/Congressman to oppose 7.69% cuts in Medicare home health rates for 2023 that are being proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. If these cuts were implemented, many Nebraskans who are living independently in their homes would not be able to receive healthcare services in their homes. It would put them at risk of hospitalization or facility care. Home healthcare is the lowest cost option for citizens. There is already limited access to home care services in many areas of our state. If the cuts are implemented, and taking into consideration inflation as well, it would be very difficult for my agency to cover the costs of delivering home health care services for constituents.

I am specifically asking [Senator Sasse/Senator Fischer/Congressman Bacon/Congressman Flood or Congressman Smith] to vote in favor of the Preserving Home Health Act. [If you are calling Senator Sasse and Senator Fischer, please say it’s S.4605. When calling your House Representative (either Congressman Don Bacon, Congressman Mike Flood or Congressman Adrian Smith), please say it’s H.R. 8581.

Senator Deb Fischer
(202) 224-6551

Senator Ben Sasse
(202) 224-4224

Congressman Don Bacon – click here for his Congressional district map
(202) 225-4155

Congressman Mike Flood – click here for his Congressional district map
(202) 225-4806

Congressman Adrian Smith – click here for his Congressional district map
(202) 225-6435

Emails can also be sent. Here is a sample email, but please do customize the message: https://p2a.co/UG5NwSs.