The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) recommended that the Medicare base payment rate for home health care be reduced by 7% for CY 2024.
This recommendation is in line with previous recommendations by the commission over the years, reports Home Health Care News.
The implications of a 7% reduction would mean, among other things, a decrease in government spending by $750 million to $2 billion over one year, according to the commission’s members.
“For beneficiary and provider implications, we expect that access to care should remain adequate and it should not affect the willingness of providers to serve beneficiaries,” Evan Christman, a senior analyst for MedPAC, said during the commission’s public meeting Thursday. “But it may increase cost pressure for some providers.”
The commission — established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 — regularly meets as part of its mission to inform Congress on Medicare spending and policy.
According to MedPAC data, Medicare spent $16.9 billion on home health services in 2021. Read more.
