Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5142
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-04T09:06:50Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose The legislation aims to maintain stable Medicare payments to home health agencies by temporarily offsetting planned reductions in payment rates for calendar years 2026 and 2027.
Key Provisions
- Adds three new clauses to section 1895(b)(3)(D) of the Social Security Act.
- Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to apply a positive adjustment to the standard prospective payment amount in 2026 and 2027 that fully offsets a -4.059 percent permanent adjustment factor and a -5.0 percent temporary adjustment factor referenced in a July 2025 proposed rule.
- Directs the national, standardized 30-day period payment rate for 2026 and 2027 to be based on the 2025 rate (after the offset), with updates allowed only under other provisions of the section and without further reductions from certain existing adjustment clauses.
- Excludes the additional payments resulting from these offsets when calculating actual expenditures for 2026 and 2027, preventing later recoupment through negative adjustments.
- Includes a construction clause stating that the bill does not indicate congressional approval or disapproval of the payment methodology used in a November 2022 final rule.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill temporarily suspends the application of two specific negative adjustment factors to the home health prospective payment system for 2026 and 2027. It alters the usual process for determining payment rates and expenditure calculations under Medicare’s home health payment rules without permanently changing the underlying statutory framework.
Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must implement the new payment adjustments, potentially through program instructions, for two years.
- Citizens: Medicare beneficiaries may experience continued access to home health services if agencies maintain operations due to stabilized payments.
- Home health agencies: Providers receive higher payment rates than would otherwise apply under the referenced adjustments during 2026 and 2027.
- International relations: No direct effects are outlined in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Home health agencies providing Medicare-covered services.
- Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health care.
- The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which administer the payment system.
- Members of Congress who introduced and referred the bill.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The measure creates a short-term exception to existing payment adjustment rules while explicitly avoiding any endorsement of prior regulatory methodologies. It was introduced on a bipartisan basis and referred to the House Committees on Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce. No constitutional or broader legal challenges are addressed in the text.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (21)
Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15], Rep. Gimenez, Carlos A. [R-FL-28], Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32], Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2], Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5], Rep. Moran, Nathaniel [R-TX-1], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1], Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1], Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2], Rep. Schmidt, Derek [R-KS-2], Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9], Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7], Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12], Rep. Rogers, Mike D. [R-AL-3], Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11], Rep. Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4], Rep. Pou, Nellie [D-NJ-9], Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5], Rep. Gonzalez, Vicente [D-TX-34]
Recent Actions
- 2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-09-04: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-09-04: Introduced in House
- 2025-09-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025 — issued 2025-09-04 — PDF (4 pages)