Home Health & Hospice Week

HHAs wait on pins and needles for final regulation in a couple of months.

Home health agencies will find out if Medicare officials heed their feedback when the final rule comes out, likely in late October or early November.

“Please reconsider cuts to home health,” asks Sarah Ryan. a home health nurse case manager for nine years, in her comment letter. “Please reconsider the economic situation, the need to hire and retain skilled staff, and the need to provide complex care to my patients by eliminating the proposed 4.2 percent reduction,” Ryan asks.

“Please do not destroy the home health benefit,” plead officials from Gunderson Health System in La Crosse, Wisconsin. “People can, and do, recover better at home. It is more cost effective. Those that will be impacted the most are the poor, elderly and those that already are dealing with access issues,” they say.

“Please stop the cuts. This is another way to prevent true access to care,” asks Eileen Carter in her comment letter. “Our patients need skilled care. We are seeing many patients who have been weakened by the long lasting effects of COVID,” Carter adds.

“Please do the right thing,” one anonymous commenter implores.