HCA is headed to Washington, DC to meet members of the NYS Congressional delegation to advocate against the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) devastating cuts in their proposed Calendar Year 2025 Home Health Payment Rule under the Patient Driven Groupings Model (PDGM).
HCA will meet with a wide group of delegation offices to educate the officials and staffs of the nature, severity and ramifications of the CMS Rule and associated cuts to home health care in NYS.
In late June, CMS issued its proposed Rule for 2025, which adds huge, severe cuts to home health payment on top of the past two prior years’ cuts.
As the Rule is currently in the proposal stage, it is essential to launch a counter and corrective voice as quickly as possible, to gain preemptive support for a rollback by CMS, or if necessary, a complete halt to the Rule by Congress.
These cuts are especially perilous to New York providers in light of home health’s extensive role in our state’s health care system; the financial cutbacks and limitations that our agencies already must operate with; the continued workforce shortages which are still compounded in New York from COVID’s impact; waiting lists for home health services; access challenges to home care that impacts the entire system, including the related demand burden in ERs and in hospital inpatient units across the state; and more.
All HCA CHHAs and concerned members are invited to join in these July 18 Congressional meetings in the US Capitol. We will also be urging subsequent member meetings with their officials in their district offices, along with other grassroots legislative action for Congressional support in halting these cuts.
Thursday’s meetings in DC will begin in the morning around 9:00 or 9:30 AM, and continue through the day until 4:00 or 5:00 PM. Members will be accompanied in the meetings by HCA President Al Cardillo, HCA’s Federal Government Relations Director Brett Heimov, and others. Over the next day, HCA will confirm the exact meeting times and locations in the Congressional Office Buildings with the individual Delegation offices.
Please let HCA know at bvogel@hcanys.org if you intend to join; we will follow up with you to register your attendance with us and guide your participation.
Please take a look at our draft HCA advocacy documents (to be finalized with any contributions of member data we receive) that we plan to use in these meetings, in conjunction with information we receive from our national affiliate, the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) ahead of Thursday.
Your Information Will Make a Critical Contribution!
Regardless of whether you join us in person, please consider sending us data, anecdotes, or other evidence that can contribute to our advocacy materials or messaging during these visits. If you have this to share, please send it directly to Brandon Vogel at bvogel@hcanys.org. We will combine your contributions together with our resources to build the strongest arguments we can for our association and our sector.