Home Health Cuts: Senators Urge CMS Action | Medicare HHA Benefit
- Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Susan Collins of Maine are pressing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to safeguard Medicare's home health agency (HHA) benefit. The...
- In a letter to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz,the senators highlighted the potential consequences of continued funding cuts.
- The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018 mandated CMS to develop a new payment model for HHAs, which began in January 2020.
Senators are fighting to protect vital Medicare home health benefits as planned cuts threaten access to in-home care for seniors. Republican senators Blackburn and Collins are urging the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reverse course on payment reductions, fearing these cuts may force home health agencies (HHAs) to close. This move follows concerns over the impact of these changes in the HHA industry,and the senators are calling for a pause on further reductions.Concerns raised include diminished benefits and potential impacts on seniors in the home. The National Alliance for Care at home supports this effort, highlighting that cuts may actually increase costs and reduce patient outcomes.News Directory 3 is closely following this developing story. CMS must respond by July 7, and the future of home health benefits hangs in the balance. Discover what’s next …
Senators Push to Preserve Medicare Home Health Benefits Amid Funding Cuts
Updated June 27, 2025
Republican Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Susan Collins of Maine are pressing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to safeguard Medicare’s home health agency (HHA) benefit. The senators are concerned that planned payment reductions will jeopardize access to vital in-home care for seniors, potentially forcing HHAs to close.
In a letter to CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz,the senators highlighted the potential consequences of continued funding cuts. Advocates for home-based care have echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for policymakers to protect this essential benefit. The senators are focused on the critical role Medicare home health plays in the lives of many seniors.
The Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2018 mandated CMS to develop a new payment model for HHAs, which began in January 2020. Congress stipulated that the model be budget-neutral. Though,Blackburn and Collins contend that CMS has consistently reduced payments to HHAs as implementing the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM),leading to diminished benefits,fewer in-home visits,and delays in care.
The senators expressed alarm that these budget cuts are eroding access to Medicare home health benefits,with some HHAs already closing or reducing their service areas. They are urging CMS to reconsider further payment reductions.
“We request that you use the full authority under the law and pause any planned payment cuts in the CY 2026 Proposed Rule for HHAs and allow clinician experts, seniors, and their families and CMS to discuss system improvements that sustain care, improve quality and contain health care cost growth,” the senators wrote. “We believe that doing so is essential to preserving this vital benefit and ensuring seniors can continue to receive care where they want to be most – at home.”
Blackburn and Collins requested a response from CMS by July 7.
The National alliance for Care at Home (The Alliance) has voiced its support for the senators’ efforts. CEO Dr. Steve Landers said the cuts to home health reimbursement are counterproductive.
“the Alliance is deeply grateful to Senators Blackburn and Collins for their continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of the millions of seniors who depend on Medicare home health services,” Landers said. “CMS’ reductions to home health reimbursement – the most cost-effective care setting – are pushing our seniors into hospitals and expensive institutional facilities, driving up costs for taxpayers while compromising patient outcomes through increased readmissions and higher mortality rates.”
Landers suggested focusing on fraud and abuse and expanding value-oriented innovation instead of across-the-board cuts to preserve the medicare home health benefit.
“We must act now to focus on preserving and protecting this essential benefit that keeps patients healthy, safe, and where they want to be – at home with their families,” he said.
What’s next
CMS is expected to respond to the senators’ request by July 7. The debate over Medicare home health funding and access is likely to continue as stakeholders weigh the needs of seniors and the financial realities of the healthcare system.