Warning: More Medicare cuts could be on the way in mere months.
The end to the government shutdown was helpful for many home care and hospice providers, but they may pay a price in the new year.
As part of the agreement to end the impasse, lawmakers will set up a bipartisan panel to craft a long-term budget agreement. And that panel will most likely be examining budget cuts to programs including Medicare, according to news reports.
Measures such as a copayment for home health and reimbursement reductions for HHAs and hospices are expected to be on the table. And broader reforms such as a higher eligibility age for Medi-care also would affect the industry.
The 29-member panel, led by Senate Bud-get Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-Wisc) will have until Dec. 13 to reach an agreement. Mur-ray and Ryan have said they want to eliminate se-questration cuts and instead make targeted reductions, according to press reports.