No rain in sight. If there was a weather forecast for home care for the foreseeable future, that might just be it, according to William Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.

“The forecast is somewhat positive … partly or mostly sunny days,” he said of the overall health of the sector during a webinar Thursday sponsored by Relias, a training company that serves the post-acute sector. During the presentation, he provided an overview of key legislation and regulations in play for the home health and hospice industries, and offered a prediction of what’s to come.

So what’s accounting for the clear skies? Lots of factors, he explained. Among them: a high interest in the expansion of healthcare at home, expanded managed home care with Medicare Advantage and Medicaid, and the growth of technology tools.  

“The best news is demand for services in the home continues to rise,” he said.

There are several potential positive developments on the horizon, such as possible passage of the Better Care Better Jobs Act, which Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) reintroduced in January. Other promising legislation that Congress may revisit is the Credit for Caring Act, which would provide a $3,000 tax credit for private pay services; and the Choose Home Care Act, which would create a new post-acute Medicare benefit.  

Of course, dark clouds always beckon. Dombi talked about the permanent home health Medicare pay cut of 3.925% now in effect, along with the potential of a temporary payment adjustment composed of billions of dollars in clawback payments related to the introduction of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM). NAHC wants CMS to stop any further reductions and also concede that any Medicare margin is due to subsidization of underpaying revenue streams, namely Medicaid and Medicare Advantage.

Hospice is in a bit of a downcast period, as oversight organizations try to clamp down on perceived misuses of the benefit and proven rampant fraud. CMS also recently proposed a somewhat paltry 2.8% pay hike. 

But let’s not get mired in the dreary. As of the moment, the temperature is decent. Fresh off a successful lobbying effort and with spring in full swing, we might as well enjoy the fair weather while we have it.

Liza Berger is editor of McKnight’s Home Care. Email her at [email protected].