Legislative Information Center

Care Planning Act

The Care Planning Act would provide much needed assistance to individuals with serious health conditions by giving them access to more information about potential treatment options and ensuring that the course of treatment they arrive at is consistent with their personal goals, values and preferences.

The bill would create a new benefit under Medicare that embodies key elements that have proven tremendously effective in empowering individuals to make deliberate and thoughtful decisions on the course of care that is right for them.  The elements include the use of an interdisciplinary team and allowing for a series of discussions with a variety of experts.  The Care Planning Act would remove some of the overwhelming confusion and anxiety that so often accompany health care decision making, and assure that an individual’s chosen treatment plan is communicated among care providers.

Care Planning Act One-Pager

Care Planning Act Section by Section

Hospice CARE Act Seeks to Refine Hospice Face-to-Face Requirements

The Hospice Commitment to Accurate and Relevant Encounters Act — Hospice CARE addresses key issues related to the requirement that hospice providers conduct a face-to-face encounter with patients entering their third or subsequent benefit period to gather information that helps support documentation of continuing eligibility for hospice care.

Hospice CARE Act Issue Brief  

NAHC’s Hospice CARE Act Letter of Support

Oppose Medicare Home Health Copays and Payment Cuts

NAHC urges all home care advocates to ask their members of Congress to “Reject proposals that would  impose home health copays and payment cuts to offset the cost of fixing the Medicare physician payment formula, to reduce the deficit, or for other purposes.”

Home Health Copay Issue Brief  
Home Health Copay Talking Points  
Home Health Payments Issue Brief/Talking Points  
Co-payment White Paper  
A Home Health Co-Payment: Affected Beneficiaries and Potential Impacts   Potential Impact of a Home Health Co-Payment on Other Medicare Spending
NAHC Statement to E&C Subcommittee on Health  

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Preserve Access to Home Health Care

Ensure that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) preserves adequate and appropriate payment for Medicare home health services and does not impose unreasonable regulatory burdens that would restrict access to care.

1) Urge Lawmakers to Require CMS to Reconsider Home Health PPS Rebasing Rule
Home Health Rebasing Overview  
Rebasing Reform Proposal Talking Points  
2014-2017 Projections State  National 3-13-14  
2014-2017 Projections Congressional District 3-13-14  
House Home Health Rebasing Dear Colleague Letter 9-17-14  
Home Health Rebasing Relief Letter to House Leadership  
House Home Health Rebasing Dear Colleague Letter 3-6-2014  
House Home Health Rebasing Letter  
Senate Home Health Rebasing Letter  
Senate Small Business Committee Chair Rebasing Letter  
Senate Minority Leader Rebasing Letter  

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2) Urge that CMS take the following actions to resolve serious issues arising from implementation of the face-to-face physician encounter requirement (F2F) for home health services:

a) Phase-in the new F2F documentation requirements by issuing comprehensive guidance on compliance and education of physicians and home health agencies before instituting full enforcement NAHC F2F Phase-In Letter to CMS   Contact Your Legislators!  

b) Reverse past F2F claim denials and stop future audits related to the physician narrative requirement  
Senate Face-to-Face Letter to CMS  
House Face-to-Face Letter to CMS 2013  
House Face-to-Face Letter to CMS 2014  
Talking Points/Issue Brief  
Home Care Face-to-Face Mandate: A Major Problem, a Simple Fix  
Face-to-Face Documentation Survey Results  

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Hospice: Protect the Medicare Hospice Benefit

NAHC urges hospice advocates  to tell Congress to “Protect the Medicare Hospice Benefit.”

Issue Background/Talking Points  

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Allow NP/PAs to Order Home Health Services

Ask your Senators and Representative to co-sponsor the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (S 445/HR 1825), which would allow Nurse Practitioners, Advanced Practice Nurses, and Physician Assistants to sign Medicare home health care plans.

Issue Brief/Talking Points  
House Dear Colleague Letter  
Senate Dear Colleague Letter  
New Report Projects Substantial Medicare Savings from Allowing NPs/PAs to Sign Home Health Plans of Care.  

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Extend the Home Health Rural Add-On

Urge your Members of Congress to support efforts to extend the Medicare home health rural add-on.

Issue Brief/Talking Points  

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Oppose Proposals to Cut Federal Funding for Medicaid

NAHC urges home care and hospice advocates to ask their Members of Congress to protect access to home care and hospice for low income Medicaid beneficiaries by opposing proposals that would reduce federal Medicaid funding.

Issue Brief/Talking Points  

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Modify Employer Responsibilities in the ACA to Address Home Care-Specific Needs

1) Ask your Members of Congress to modify the employer responsibilities in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to protect access to home care.

Issue Brief/Talking Points  

2) Urge your Legislators to support legislation that would define full time for purposes of the ACA as 40 hours a week

Statement on the Introduction of the Forty Hours Is Full Time Act  
40 Hours Is Full Time endorsement letter  

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Expand the Home Health Caucus

Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) are again asking their colleagues in the House of Representatives to join the Congressional Home Health Caucus. NAHC urges all home care advocates to reach out to their representatives and remind them to join the caucus today.

Dear Colleague Letter from Congressmen McGovern and Jones