The Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice stands with Ohio’s home health providers and the National Alliance for Care at Home in opposition of cuts by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in the CY 2026 Home Health Proposed Rule.
Lend Your Voice to Protect Medicare Home Health for Ohioans
Take action by August 29 | Template Below
If finalized, this rule would impose an additional $1.135 billion in cuts to Medicare-certified home health agencies compared to 2025. This is not a sensible solution to advancing America’s health care system into a sustainable and caring future. This will take us backwards, not forwards.
Why This Matters
- Cumulative Cuts: CMS has already reduced home health reimbursement by nearly 9% between 2023 and 2025. These reductions have forced agencies to shrink service areas or close entirely.
- Closures & Access Loss: Since 2020, more than 1,000 agencies have closed nationwide. According to MedPAC, Medicare home health utilization has already fallen by 8% in that same period.
- Ohio’s Risk: These reductions threaten access for thousands of Ohio seniors who prefer to recover and remain at home. Without access to skilled care in the community, beneficiaries will face higher-cost, higher-risk institutional settings—increasing costs to Medicare rather than reducing them.
Call to Action
We are asking all Ohioans to make their voice heard by CMS and your elected officials during the critical comment period ending August 29. Here are links to help you reach out.
📢 CMS comment page: https://www.regulations.gov/document/CMS-2025-0242-0002
Comments must be received no later than 11:59 pm EDT on August 29. Previous publications noted September 2 but this has been changed to 8/29!
📢 Find your legislator: https://findmydistrict.ohiosos.gov/
Encourage your legislators to engage with CMS about these proposed changes. Send them an email using the template below or call their office to comment.
Resources
⚡ Take Action campaign page by the National Alliance for Care at Home
📚 CMS press release about the proposed 2026 Rule
📚 Alliance statement on the proposed 2026 Rule
📚 The impact on Ohio, a 1-page stats handout (pdf). This is linked in the template below.
Copy/Paste Outreach Template
Subject: Urgent: Proposed $1.13B Cut to Home Health Threatens Access in Your District
Dear [Representative/Senator],
[insert personal information about your organization/who you are and your tie to the office]
As your constituent, I’m writing to urge you to oppose the deep and devastating cuts proposed in CMS’ CY 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule. If finalized, this rule would impose an additional $1.135 billion in cuts to Medicare-certified home health agencies (HHAs) nationwide, including in your district.
Click here for an informative 1 page summary of the impact on Ohio
Home-based care remains the top choice for patients and families across the country. Yet, since Medicare’s new payment model was implemented in 2020, more than 1,000 home health agencies have closed their doors, and patients are finding it harder to access the care they need at home. This lack of access leads to increased emergency room visits, hospital readmissions, costlier institutional care, and even higher mortality rates in our communities.
Home health agencies are already being forced to lay off staff, shrink service areas, or shut down entirely. As one provider put it, “This isn’t downsizing. This is disappearing.” These aren’t just numbers on a page—they’re care lifelines being cut off in real time.
Rather than implementing steep and shortsighted cuts to a system that supports patient independence and quality of life at home, CMS should be focused on reducing waste, fraud, and abuse—without jeopardizing care for those who need it most.
I urge you to take action now to stop these cuts before they are finalized and irreparably harm home health access in our community and beyond. Protecting home health care is not just a policy issue, it is a critical lifeline for your constituents.
Sincerely,
[full name]
[work title]
[agency name, address, phone]
We sincerely hope that you take a moment and send at least one email and/or submit a comment on CMS’s website before August 29th! Please make your voice heard!
Thank you for your time and support.
Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice
