New Bill Would Block Medicare Home Health Cuts for Two Years
New Bill Would Block Medicare Home Health Cuts for Two Years
Lawmakers in Washington have introduced bipartisan legislation that would pause devastating Medicare home health cuts slated for 2026 and 2027.
The Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025 (H.R.5142), sponsored by Representatives Kevin Hern (R-OK) and Terri Sewell (D-AL), would block the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed 9% cut to the Medicare home health base payment rate — a reduction exceeding $1.1 billion. If enacted, the bill would freeze payment rates at 2025 levels and require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to apply a positive adjustment to offset CMS’s proposed cuts.
Industry leaders have warned that CMS’s proposal would force agencies to scale back services, close programs, and drive patients into higher-cost hospitals and nursing homes. “Slashing home health payments not only undermines access to this critical benefit, but it also drives up overall Medicare costs by forcing patients into more expensive care settings,” Representative Hern said in announcing the bill. Representative Sewell called the legislation “imperative to protect patients and their families from lasting negative impacts.”
A Key Advocacy Priority This Week
The introduction of H.R.5142 comes just as more than 200 industry advocates from across the country — including HCAF — gather in Washington, D.C., for the National Alliance for Care at Home advocacy fly-in. Medicare home health reimbursement stability will be one of the top priorities raised with members of Congress, alongside key Medicaid and private pay policy issues.
HCAF is urging Florida’s congressional delegation to co-sponsor the bill immediately. “If Congress does not act, these cuts will devastate providers, threaten patients’ ability to age in place, and increase overall Medicare spending,” said Denise Bellville, RN, Executive Director of HCAF.
Take Action
HCAF encourages providers, patients, and advocates to make their voices heard by contacting their U.S. Representatives and urging them to co-sponsor the Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025.
Click here to take action now.