Advocacy Update: CMS Issues 6-Month Moratorium on Medicare Home Health & Hospice Enrollment5/13/2026
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a six-month nationwide moratorium on enrolling new home health and hospice agencies, the administration’s latest action to curb fraud, waste, and abuse.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public comment on proposed updates to the Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Quality Measure Set for 2028. You can read the official notice from CMS here. Comments from the public are due on May 28, 2026.
According to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, all Health Care Service Firm (HCSF) registrations will now expire on September 30, 2026, instead of June 30. Additionally, renewal applications must be submitted before October 1 each year, along with any required financial reports, statements, or audits that are required to be submitted as a condition of renewal. HCSFs that have already renewed their registration for 2026-27 will be automatically extended to September 30, 2027, and will be issued a registration with the new expiration date. The division intends to amend N.J.A.C. 13:45B-13.5 to effectuate this change.
By Ashlee Jensen, Altum Coaching Services
If you’re leading in home care today, you’ve likely felt it: The role is expanding. And in many cases, it’s happening faster than teams can realistically adapt. What once felt manageable now feels layered. Responsibilities have grown. Expectations continue to shift. Much of your time is spent filtering constant change — regulations, compliance updates, narrowed reimbursement rates — while still showing up for your team. An amendment adopted earlier this week in the state House of Representatives establishes minimum caregiver training requirements for home care agencies in Connecticut.
HCAOA Connecticut, along with CT Association for Healthcare at Home, negotiated the final details of House Bill 5143 with leaders of the Aging Committee and the Department of Consumer Protection. Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration (ACHA) has released an updated draft rule that sets clearer standards for home health aides who care for medically fragile children. Rule 59A-8.0099 reflects feedback gathered during workshops earlier this year and builds on recent state legislation. Here's a plain-language breakdown of what's changing and what it means for agencies.
Home care leaders from across the country gathered in Washington, DC, April 21-22 for National Home Care Advocacy Day 2026. Roughly 120 HCAOA members representing 31 states met with senators, representatives, and congressional staff to discuss federal policies affecting care at home.
Soon more than 100 HCAOA members will convene on Capitol Hill to talk with members of Congress about the policies shaping our industry. If you can't make it, you don't have to sit on the sidelines — join in our Advocate from Anywhere campaign.
HCAOA submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services March 30 in response to its Request for Information on its CRUSH initiative — short for Comprehensive Regulations to Uncover Suspicious Healthcare — which seeks public input on new regulations to combat fraud, waste, and abuse in federal health care programs.
Augusta has released its latest Caregiver Recruitment Benchmark Report, drawing on more than 110,000 applications from across North American home care organizations in the final quarter of 2025. The full report contains 28 pages of insights — and commentary from HCAOA CEO Jason Lee — but what are the most important things for busy home care leaders to take away from the data? We asked Augusta to share what stood out.
South Carolina’s Senate is currently finalizing the state budget, and key decisions being made now will directly impact access to care for thousands of individuals and families across the state.
HCAOA Connecticut has advocated for years for a Medicaid rate increase for home care.
The legislature’s Human Services Committee heard those calls and approved House Bill 5561 unanimously on March 19. A recent decision from the Michigan Court of Appeals provides important clarification regarding how reimbursement caps apply to home care services under the state’s amended auto no-fault law.
While the ruling does not resolve every reimbursement dispute, it answers a key legal question that has shaped provider and insurer litigation since the 2019 reform. From consumer protection to fiscal sustainability to workforce protections, HCAOA advocates across the country are actively working to secure stronger policies for home care. Here’s a look at the current issues by state reported at a recent Chapter Town Hall meeting.
On March 4, the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing reviewing the VA's progress implementing the Senator Elizabeth Dole Act a year after it was enacted. HCAOA's federal lobbying firm, Buchanan, was present for the hearing and issued a memo on the proceedings. Here's a brief summary of what happened; read the full memo to learn more.
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© 2026 Home Care Association of America. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy