Senate Bill Would Reset Home Health Base Rate, Expand CMS Fraud Authority

Sen. Susan Collins introduced legislation to reset the Medicare home health base payment rate and grant CMS additional fraud enforcement tools. The bill applies to Medicare home health, not Medicaid home and community-based services. It reflects congressional scrutiny of home health fraud while supporting payment stability. No effective date or timeline for committee action has been announced.

Why it mattersThe bill signals ongoing congressional attention to home health fraud and abuse, which could influence CMS enforcement priorities and oversight in Medicaid HCBS programs that share similar service delivery models and fraud vulnerabilities.