Speak Up to Pause Proposed Cuts to the Medicare Home Health Benefit

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Dear [Your Elected Official],

I urge you to contact CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and demand a pause on his proposed 6.4% cut to home health payment rates in 2026, which would reduce Medicare funding by over $1.1 billion.
CMS has already applied cuts to the Medicare home health benefit year over year, leading to delays in starts of care, fewer in-home visits, and diminishments in benefits overall. To date, the cumulative effect of the home health cuts sums to $25 billion over the 2020-2025 budget window. 
When half of all US counties have already lost access to home health due to inflation and workforce shortages, and remaining agencies are treater fewer Medicare patients than ever before, CMS's proposed cuts will further force agencies to close and push even more seniors into expensive institutional care—a flawed and shortsighted update that will increase costs to the American healthcare system overall. 
CMS's proposed cuts are neither budget-neutral nor what Congress ever called for or intended. Please demand that CMS pause its proposed 6.4% cut to home health payment rates in 2026.
America and its seniors deserve better.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

[Your City & State]

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I urge you to contact CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and demand a pause on his proposed 9% cut to 30-day home health payment rates in 2026, which would reduce Medicare funding by over $1.1 billion.

CMS has already applied cuts to the Medicare home health benefit year over year, leading to delays in starts of care, fewer in-home visits, and diminishments in benefits overall. To date, the cumulative effect of the home health cuts sums to $25 billion over the 2020-2025 budget window.

When half of all US counties have already lost access to home health due to inflation and workforce shortages, and remaining agencies are treater fewer Medicare patients than ever before, CMS's proposed cuts will further force agencies to close and push even more seniors into expensive institutional care—a flawed and shortsighted update that will increase costs to the American healthcare system overall.

CMS's proposed cuts are neither budget-neutral nor what Congress ever called for or intended. Please demand that CMS pause its proposed 9% cut to 30-day home health payment rates in 2026.

America and its seniors deserve better.

Summary

Home health keeps families together and preserves dignity for millions of Medicare beneficiaries across the country. Proposed cuts to the Medicare home health benefit will further force agencies to close or reduce their services, pushing vulnerable seniors into costly institutional care—when they would better receive quality care from the safety of home. The Numbers Don't Add Up <ul> <li>CMS proposes a 6.4% cut to home health payment rates in 2026, reducing Medicare funding by over $1.1 billion.</li> <li>Despite CMS claiming overpayments, actual Medicare home health spending has declined every year since 2020.</li> </ul> More Cuts = More Closures <ul> <li>The cumulative effect of cuts year-over-year sums to $25 billion over the 2020-2025 budget window.</li> <li>Agencies already struggle to absorb cuts while facing inflation and workforce shortages.</li> <li>More cuts would further push seniors into expensive institutional care, which would increase costs to the American healthcare system overall.</li> </ul> CMS' proposed rule will continue to diminish the Medicare benefit and have catastrophic impacts on healthcare access, leaving eligible patients without the essential care they need.

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