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Home Health Advocacy Resources
The proposed cut to Medicare Fee for Service (FFS) payment rates for home health services included in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Home Health Payment System Rate Update is deep: 9%. And, when combined with the 8.8% payment reductions the agency has imposed since CY2023, the impact will be significant to all providers of home health care—but nonprofit providers are particularly at risk.
- Learn about our multi-pronged advocacy strategy to fight against the cuts, including an initiative with the National Alliance for Care at Home, as well as LeadingAge’s members-only resource for nonprofit providers, by clicking here.
- Take our survey: Data will help support our advocacy. Please help us understand the impact of a 9% payment decrease and the financial realities you are navigating by answering a few questions. The information will inform our advocacy response. Access the survey here.
QIOs Begin 13th Scope of Work
The Quality Improvement Organizations (QIO) Program’s 13th Scope of Work has been approved and QIOs are once again authorized to provide training, resources, and technical support to nursing homes, hospitals, and physician’s offices. This Scope of Work includes reassignment of QIOs into seven regions, with both new state groupings and new contracts. Read here to learn what services are available and which QIO is serving your state.
KFF Updates Analysis of State-by-State Medicaid Reductions in OBBB
In a brief published on July 23, KFF used updated scoring from the Congressional Budget Office to estimate state-level reductions in federal Medicaid spending. The estimates include allocation of provisional interactions, which account for how policies would reduce spending in multiple areas and offset double counting for policies that would result in the same outcome. KFF attributes $911 billion in federal Medicaid cuts through 2034. The analysis found that cuts applicable only to states that have undertaken Medicaid Expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) account for more than half of the cuts- totaling $526 billion. Federal funding reductions in the first five years of the budget window account for less than one quarter (24%) of the total cuts since many provisions are not effective until years out. The full $911 billion represents a 14% reduction in federal Medicaid spending over the 10-year period. States, including Louisiana, Illinois, Nevada, and Oregon, see cuts approaching 20% of their federal Medicaid funding, while all states will face significant percentage reductions in federal Medicaid spending. The analysis displays data in multiple easy-to-consume charts and images. A state-by-state map illustrates how individual states are anticipated to fare. Review the brief here.
