News
Senators call for new Medicare benefit for home care, more Medicaid HCBS funding
14+ hour, 1+ min ago (261+ words) A group of Democratic United States senators last week expressed the need for a new Medicare benefit for in-home care and expanded Medicaid funding for home- and community-based services as part of a larger plan to increase funding for long-term…...
Providers urge CMS to increase home health payment rates for 2027
1+ week, 14+ hour ago (272+ words) The nation's largest organization representing home health and hospice providers is calling on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to restore home health funding for calendar year 2027 following a funding reduction this year. The National Alliance for Care at…...
CMS sets 2027 deadline for electronic prior authorization interfaces
2+ week, 6+ day ago (273+ words) Mc Knights Home Care Building on its pledge with major health plans last year to streamline prior authorizations, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Tuesday disclosed that it is adding electronic prior authorization to the Health Tech Ecosystem. "The…...
Growth at Humana providing 'tailwind' for Center Well Home Health, exec says
3+ week, 5+ day ago (22+ words) Humana executives touted the success of the company's Center Well Home Health unit during a 2026 first quarter earnings call on Wednesday....
CMS contractor targets Medicare home health length of stay in new audit
1+ mon, 6+ day ago (566+ words) In a recent notification about the audit, Noridian explained that the Patient-Driven Groupings Model, the new 2020 payment system that changed episodes of payment to 30 days from 60 days "may introduce potential vulnerabilities, particularly for home health services provided for 361 days or…...
Home Care briefs for Tuesday, April 14
1+ mon, 1+ week ago (65+ words) Mc Knights Home Care Trump administration admitsto error in New York personal care crackdown " Texas Health and Human Services OIG recovered more than $95. 7 million from Dec. 1, 2025, to Feb. 28, 2026, new report finds " MA plans present barriers to cardiology care access, new…...
CMS to raise MA payments by 2. 48 percent in 2027, delay risk adjustment model updates
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (211+ words) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Monday issued a calendar year 2027 Medicare Advantage rate announcement that is expected to raise payments by 2. 48%, or over $13 billion. That represents a greater increase than the update proposed in January. "Medicare Advantage and…...
CMS proposes 2. 4 percent hospice pay increase for FY 2027, transparency measures
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (445+ words) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unveiled a new, publicly available hospice scoring system based on signs of potential inappropriate utilization, quality of care and compliance concerns on Thursday. The issuance was part of a proposed rule that would raise…...
SNF-at-home frees up hospital capacity, serves aging population, stakeholders say
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (457+ words) The challenges in healthcare are well known, from overcrowded emergency departments to workforce shortages and more than 500 shuttered nursing homes since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, evidence is growing that when patients receive care at home, they have…...
Home Care briefs for Tuesday, March 31
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (58+ words) Mc Knights Home Care OIG recommends VNS Health refund $2, 965, 484 in overpayments to Medicare program " Senators urge CMS" Oz to address MA upcoding " APNs, PAs writing antipsychotic prescriptions for older adults more than psychiatrists and primary care physicians Want to read…...