Action Alert: Contact Your Legislators about Home Health Care Rate Cuts

from Hearts for Home Advocacy Center:

A major reduction in Medicaid reimbursement for home health care services will be implemented on July 1 unless immediate action is taken by the Governor’s Office.  The Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning (OMPP) and the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) is implementing a devastating reduction in reimbursement that totals $20 million dollars on top of an existing 3% emergency rate cut.  This continues a decade-long trend to decrease home care reimbursement for over almost a decade – the proposed rates for 2017 are lower than home care providers received in 2010!

Without adequate reimbursement home care our agencies across the state cannot attract and retain qualified professionals to provide needed client services. Current reimbursement rates have resulted in access problems for clients.  This significant new reduction in reimbursement will further jeopardize access to critical services for our clients.  Home health care allows Indiana residents to live in the comfort of their home with their families – where they want to be and the services are cost-effective. Home care services also help avoid the need for much more costly institutional services.

Please contact the Governor’s Office now – do not delay.  Ask Governor Pence to compel OMPP and FSSA to halt the reduction until a comprehensive review of the rate setting methodology is completed and can be acted upon by the 2017 Legislature, and, discontinue the 3% emergency rate cut where no emergency exists.

Please see the link for the article on Home Health Medicaid Reimbursement reductions here:  http://www.ibj.com/articles/58857-medicaid-cuts-spell-trouble-for-home-health-firms?utm_source=this-week-in-ibj&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=2016-06-04

There's a link to take action HERE