Home Care News Brief: September 17, 2025
Home Care News Brief: September 17, 2025
Welcome to the latest Home Care News Brief — highlighting key developments impacting providers, patients/clients, and advocates across Florida. This edition covers new federal proposals on Medicaid home care worker benefits, long-term care financing, and telehealth; new research linking social determinants of health to outcomes in home health; ongoing debate over expanding prior authorization in Medicare; and legislation to halt looming home health payment cuts. Below you’ll find concise summaries of each story shaping the home care sector.
New Bill Would Boost HCBS Workers' Access to Work Benefits
McKnight's Home Care, September 15, 2025
The HCBS Worker Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 5228) aims to improve benefits access for home- and community-based services workers. The bill would allow these workers to make salary deductions for benefits like health insurance and training, counteracting restrictions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Advocates emphasize the importance of supporting this workforce, especially in light of Medicaid cuts.
Home Care Providers Back Reintroduced Bill to Enhance Long-Term Care Financing, Quality
McKnight's Home Care, September 15, 2025
The Supporting Our Seniors Act (S. 2762), reintroduced by Senators Rosen and Boozman, aims to improve long-term care financing and quality. The bill proposes a bipartisan commission to advise Congress on service delivery, reimbursement, and workforce adequacy in long-term care sectors.
In Home Health, Social Determinants Can Predict Urinary Incontinence Risk, Study Finds
McKnight's Home Care, September 15, 2025
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association found that Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), such as socioeconomic status and food insecurity, influence the risk of urinary incontinence in home health patients. The study suggests that documenting social determinants during home health episodes can help identify incontinence risk and develop preventive strategies. Policymakers are encouraged to explore programs that improve social determinants of health to reduce incontinence risk.
MedPAC Torn on Support of Expanding Prior Authorization to Fee-For-Service Medicare
McKnight's Home Care, September 10, 2025
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is divided on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) new Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model, which incorporates prior authorization for some traditional Medicare services. While some commissioners support the model’s goal of improving efficiency and targeting waste, others express concerns about potential harm to beneficiaries, care delays, and the creation of a “have-and-have-not” dynamic.
Telehealth Bill Reintroduced for Medicare Beneficiaries
HomeCare, September 10, 2025
The Telehealth Modernization Act (S. 2709), reintroduced by Senators Tim Scott and Brian Schatz, aims to extend telehealth access for Medicare beneficiaries through 2027. The bill seeks to remove restrictions, protect access for rural communities, and expand telehealth use for various health care services. It also addresses best practices for non-English speakers and extends telehealth use for hospice care and home dialysis.
New Bill Would Block Medicare Home Health Cuts for 2 Years
Home Health Care News, September 4, 2025
Lawmakers introduced the Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025 (H.R. 5142) to pause Medicare home health reimbursement rate cuts for 2026 and 2027. The bill, introduced by U.S. Representatives Kevin Hern (R-OK) and Terri Sewell (D-AL), aims to stabilize payments and ensure patient access to home health care. Industry leaders support the bill, citing the proposed cuts as detrimental to patient care and provider viability.
Voters Vehemently Oppose Home Health Reductions, Poll Finds
McKnight's Home Care, September 4, 2025
A survey by the National Alliance for Care at Home found that 70% of voters oppose Medicare’s proposed 6.4% reduction in home health payment rates for 2026. The survey also revealed that 73% of voters believe these cuts would harm patients and providers, and over 90% emphasized the importance of maintaining home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.
Medicare ACOs Achieve Record-Setting $2.4B Saved Last Year, CMS Reports
McKnight's Home Care, September 2, 2025
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported a record $2.4 billion in savings from Medicare Shared Savings Program Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) in 2024. This is the largest savings since the program’s inception in 2012, attributed to lower hospital and skilled nursing facility utilization among ACO-aligned beneficiaries. CMS aims to enroll all traditional Medicare enrollees in ACOs by 2030.