The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Wednesday that it would not finalize a rule that would have jeopardized delivery of home health services nationwide.
Congressman Clay Higgins recently joined a bipartisan letter that included 174 members of Congress led by Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-La., and Congresswoman Terri Sewell, D-Ala., asking that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) not finalize the new rule, which would have slashed home health funding by a projected $950 million in 2019 alone.
Congressman Higgins issued the following statement:
“Home health services are critical for many of our elderly, especially in rural communities. I’m uplifted to see the administration preserve these programs. I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to care for our elders. The idea that redirecting funds from home health programs to hospitals would have created savings at the Federal level is unsound. Ultimately, this is a wise and righteous investment that preserves access to quality, in-home healthcare for the most vulnerable Americans.”
To read the decision, click here.
