In this article, Luke Rutledge, President of Homecare Homebase addresses the 6.4% reduction to home health payments proposed by CMS. HCHB data indicates about 11.9 million referrals in 2024, yet more than 4.2 million never entered care, with conversion rates down 13% since 2018 due to staffing constraints and costs outpacing reimbursement (inflation up 27% vs. revenue per day up 13%). Medicare Advantage intensifies margin pressure ($192 per visit vs. $253 for traditional Medicare, below the average $197 average cost per visit). Claims data also undercuts CMS’s PDGM behavior assumptions. Rutledge urges data-driven advocacy to protect access before the final rule.
