The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided an important opportunity for beneficiaries, and their advocates, to convey experiences and concerns about the devastating lack of access to Medicare-covered home health aides, especially for individuals living with chronic and longer-term impairments.

In the recent 2024 Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for Home Health Care, CMS issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking responses to 8 questions about access to Medicare-covered home health aides. 

• Open a Word document with the 8 questions (https://bit.ly/44hoGIq)
• Read the NPRM – PDF (https://bit.ly/47BcYv5)
• Read a sample response (https://bit.ly/3OYPVD6) or an executive summary (https://bit.ly/45cItKv) from the Center for Medicare Advocacy

Beneficiaries and advocates must weigh in and discuss the critical need for availability of aide services and the consequences when qualifying coverage is not available. We ask that you please consider responding to the Home Health Aide RFI with your own stories, concerns, and experiences.

Deadline: August 29, 2023; 5:00 p.m. Eastern.

To submit your comments:

1. Go to https://bit.ly/45AgRid
2. Click on the blue “Comment” box in the upper left corner of the screen;
3. Under the “Commenter’s Checklist” section, there will be a “Comment” text box section, this is where you would input a short introductory paragraph stating who you are and what your comments focus on.
4. Under the “What is your comment about?” drop-down menu, select the “Health Care Professional/Association – Nursing Aide” option;
5. Under the “Attach Files” section, this is where you will upload a pdf version of your letter;
6. Type in your email address under the “Email Address” section;
7. We recommend checking the box to “Opt to receive email confirmation or submission and tracking number?”
8. Under the “Tell us about yourself” section, select whether you’re submitting as an individual or as an organization, and fill out the corresponding requested information;
9. Check the “I’m not a robot” box; and
10. Click “Submit Comment”.