New National Poll Finds Strong Support for Medicare Home Health Services, Preserving Access to Home Health Act

Medicare beneficiaries overwhelmingly support policies to protect access to Medicare home health

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (the Partnership) today announced the results of a newly conducted national public opinion poll on the Medicare Home Health Program. The poll found widespread and deep support for Medicare home health care services and the need to prevent Medicare cuts to home healthcare.

The poll, conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the Partnership, found that nearly all Medicare beneficiaries (97 percent) want the federal government to maintain Medicare coverage for at-home health care services and nine in ten (88 percent) believe it is important for Congress to pass legislation that would prevent the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposed cuts to Medicare home health services.

Other key findings from the poll include:

• 91 percent of older Americans and Medicare beneficiaries express the highest preference for receiving short-term recovery or rehabilitation health care at home.
• 92 percent of registered voters believe it is important for the federal government to maintain Medicare coverage for at-home health care to allow seniors to recover and rehabilitate at home. There is also wide bipartisan agreement among registered voters with 94 percent of Democrats and 93 percent of Republicans expressing their support for the Medicare home health program.
• 65 percent of voters oppose CMS implementing a cut to Medicare home health services, while only 20 percent support the cut.
• Three in five voters (60 percent) and more than three in four (76%) voters 65+ would be less likely to support their Member of Congress if they were in favor of making these cuts to Medicare home health services.
• More than three in four voters (78 percent) believe it is important for Congress to pass legislation to push back on CMS' proposed payment cuts to Medicare home health services, including nine in ten voters 65+ (88 percent), Medicare beneficiaries (88 percent), and caregivers for 65+ adults (89 percent).

"The American people have made it clear that they overwhelmingly support and prefer home health care services. We must continue to protect access for Medicare beneficiaries by preventing these vital services from facing permanent and temporary reductions as proposed in the CY 2023 Prospective Payment System," said Joanne Cunningham, CEO of the Partnership. "I hope lawmakers in Congress listen to the voters and quickly pass the Preserving Access to Home Health Act (H.R. 8581/S.4605), which will ensure that the Medicare Home Healthcare Program is preserved and protected. Without action, Medicare home health services are at severe risk."

The Partnership supports the bipartisan Preserving Access to Home Health Act, which if enacted will delay the proposed 7.69% cut from being implemented until 2026 and block an additional $2 billion "clawback" cut on services provided during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic from taking effect.

The poll was conducted by Morning Consult from July 22 to July 24, 2022, with a sample of 2,005 registered voters. The results have a margin of error of +/- 2 percent.

To learn more about Medicare's proposed cuts to home health, click here.

About the Partnership
The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare represents community- and hospital-based home healthcare agencies across the U.S. and is dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the quality, efficiency and integrity of home healthcare. To learn more, visit www.pqhh.org.

SOURCE Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare