Home Health & Hospice Week

Will Congress give home health agencies a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings? The jury was still out at press time, with legislators continuing to wrangle over a "doc fix" bill.

At press time, the House had passed a bill that would, among other things, avert the 27 percent cut slated to hit physicians' Medicare payment rates Jan. 1. That bill would draw funding for the "doc fix" largely from increasing cost sharing for wealthier Medicare beneficiaries and from hospital payment cuts.

But observers don't expect Medicare cuts to be limited to hospitals in the final result. Hospitals have come out swinging against the provision, and cuts spread among other providers (such as home care and hospice) are likely to be introduced as the Senate crafts its version of the bill and the houses come to agreement.

You can also expect wrangling over the timing of the bill, with a year-end deadline in question.