Providers Lobby for Home Care Proposal

Private duty and home health care providers have weighed in on a recent proposal to include non-skilled in-home supports in Medicare Advantage plans in 2019, with some providers calling it a “precursor” to expanding home care services to all Medicare patients.

The proposal, which was announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Feb. 1, would potentially add private duty home care as a supplemental benefit to these plans. Industry stakeholders had a chance to weigh in on the proposal during on open comment period that closed March 5.

More than 1,200 comments were submitted in response to the overall Medicare Advantage proposal, but not all have been posted online and not all addressed the home care provision. However, several home care and home health providers weighed in, pointing out numerous questions still to be answered, but also expressing support for the policy shift.

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