119-hr5142

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5142 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

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119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5142

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure stability in 
 payments to home health agencies under the Medicare program.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 4, 2025

 Mr. Hern of Oklahoma (for himself and Ms. Sewell) introduced the 
following bill; which was 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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure stability in 
 payments to home health agencies under the Medicare program.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Home Health Stabilization Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. ENSURING BENEFICIARY ACCESS TO MEDICARE HOME HEALTH SERVICES.

    (a) Delaying Adjustments.--

Section 1895

    (b)

    (3)
            (D) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395fff

    (b)

    (3)
            (D) ) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new clauses:
 ``
            (iv) Special rule for 2026 and 2027.--For 
 2026 and 2027, the Secretary shall provide for 
 a positive adjustment to the standard 
 prospective payment amount to fully offset the 
 -4.059 percent Permanent Adjustment Factor and 
 the -5.0 percent Temporary Adjustment Factor 
 applied to the calendar year 2026 national, 
 standardized 30-day period payment rate in the 
 proposed rule entitled, `Medicare and Medicaid 
 Programs; Calendar Year 2026 Home Health 
 Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Rate 
 Update; Requirements for the HH Quality 
 Reporting Program and the HH Value-Based 
 Purchasing Expanded Model; Durable Medical 
 Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies

    (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program Updates; 
 DMEPOS Accreditation Requirements; Provider 
 Enrollment; and Other Medicare and Medicaid 
 Policies' published in the Federal Register on 
 July 2, 2025 (90 Fed. Reg. 29108). 
 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
 Secretary may implement this clause by program 
 instruction or otherwise.
 ``
            (v) Special rule for 2026 and 2027.--For 
 2026 and 2027, the Secretary shall establish 
 the national, standardized 30-day period 
 payment rate based on the 2025 rate, taking 
 into account the adjustment under clause
            (iv) and updated based on all other provisions of 
 this section, except that such rate for 2026 or 
 2027 shall not be further adjusted based on 
 clause
            (ii) or clause
            (iii) .
 ``
            (vi) Exception.--In determining actual 
 expenditures under clause
            (i) for 2026 and 2027 
 the Secretary shall exclude the additional 
 amounts paid as a result of clauses
            (iv) and
            (v) , and no adjustments under clause
            (ii) or 
 clause
            (iii) shall be made to offset for such 
 amounts.''.

    (b) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be construed as 
signifying congressional approval or disapproval of the methodology 
promulgated by the Secretary to implement 

section 1895

    (b)

    (3)
            (D) of the 
Social Security Act in the final rule entitled, ``Medicare Program; 
Calendar Year

    (CY) 2023 Home Health Prospective Payment System Rate 
Update; Home Health Quality Reporting Program Requirements; Home Health 
Value-Based Purchasing Expanded Model Requirements; and Home Infusion 
Therapy Services Requirements'' published in the Federal Register on 
November 4, 2022 (87 Fed. Reg. 66790).
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