The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on June 30 released the CY2026 Home Health Proposed Rule that will make an aggregate -6.4% cut to the base payment. CMS is proposing a -4.059 percent permanent adjustment to the CY2026 home health base payment rate. Additionally, the temporary adjustment which has been accruing over the last several years now stands at $5.3 billion. If this were to be taken back in a single year it would be a 35% reduction to the base payment, which CMS considers too much of a burden. Therefore, the agency is proposing to apply the first temporary adjustment in CY2026 with an additional -5.0 percent on top of the proposed -4.059 permanent adjustment. The minuscule market basket update for CY2026 is proposed at only 3.2 percent. More here.