CMS Proposed Rule: Understanding Palliative Care in Home Health
In a Hospice News article examining the CMS proposed 2027 home health rule, CAPC CEO Brynn Bowman and chief health care transformation officer, Allison Silvers, comment on key gaps in the rule's approach to palliative care. The rule clarifies that home health providers can use certain billing codes to provide community-based palliative care. While this step is welcomed by experts in the field, Bowman and Silvers note that the benefit does not currently require collaboration with a qualified palliative care medical or advanced practice professional; they call on CMS to clarify that the medical provider can bill Part B, while home health bills Part A. Stakeholders broadly agree the clarification is a positive step, but emphasize that further reforms are needed to meet the full range of serious illness care needs.