Guest Editorial by Thomas Ryan

How Congress Can Stave Off a Crisis in Home Care

The next Congress is inheriting a healthcare disaster. Across America, companies that provide vital medical equipment to Medicare patients in their homes are drastically cutting services—or shutting their doors completely. Without action, millions of seniors could lose access to oxygen tanks, wheelchairs and other essential equipment that keeps them healthy at home.

At the start of 2024, Medicare slashed payments for a major segment of home medical equipment providers by 20 percent. These rates—already too low before this year’s cuts—now fall catastrophically short of market realities. A perfect storm of supply chain disruptions, rising fuel costs for equipment delivery and service calls, and a nationwide shortage of trained technicians has sent operating costs soaring. Other payers—including private Medicare Advantage plans, commercial insurers, and Medicaid—have followed Medicare and cut their rates as well.

For hundreds of small businesses that provide home care to seniors, the math no longer works. Congress must act to restore Medicare reimbursement for homecare to pre-2024 levels.