Medicare home health pay: down 1.3% in 2026, up 2.4% in 2027 if CMS finalizes its proposal
CMS's estimates of the net change in Medicare home health payments, from the CY 2026 final rule and the CY 2027 proposed rule
Show the numbers as a table
| Measure | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2026, final rule | −1.3% | Net change in payments, about $220 million |
| 2027, proposed rule | 2.4% | Net change, about $420 million, if finalized as proposed |
| Temporary cut to the 30-day rate | −3.0% | Applied in 2026 and proposed again for 2027, so it adds no change between the years |
| Overpayments CMS counted for 2020 to 2025 | $4,900,000,000 | Before netting out what the 2026 cut collects |
About the data
- Sources
- CMS, CY 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System final rule, December 2, 2025 (opens in a new tab)Regulatory Impact Analysis, K. Conclusion; section II.C.1
- CMS, CY 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule, 91 FR 41216, July 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab)Regulatory Impact Analysis, K. Conclusion; section II.C.1 (temporary adjustment)
- Method
- CMS's own estimates, as each rule states them. The 2027 figures are proposed and can change in the final rule.
- Published
Free to share and embed with credit to Kent Applied (CC BY 4.0). The source data keeps its own terms.
A fact from this chart
Sources for the figures above: CMS, CY 2027 Home Health Prospective Payment System proposed rule, 91 FR 41216, July 6, 2026 (opens in a new tab).
Related charts
- From the blog
In 2026, quality scores raised pay for 3,826 home health agencies and cut it for 3,395
CMS Provider Data Catalog, Expanded Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model - Agency Data, performance year 2024; CMS, Expanded Home Health Value-Based Purchasing Model - From the blog
A TEAM hospital in Track 3 can owe CMS up to 20% of its total target price in a year
CMS, TEAM Model Overview slides (updated September 2026); 42 CFR 512.550, TEAM reconciliation (eCFR) - From the blog
44% of nursing homes were fined in three years: 16% in Alabama, 75% in South Dakota
CMS Provider Data Catalog, Nursing Home Provider Information; CMS Provider Data Catalog, Penalties - From research
The .txt file was the requirement CMS cited most often in its 27 price transparency fines
CMS, Hospital Price Transparency enforcement actions
Sources for the figures above: 42 CFR 512.550, Reconciliation process and determination of the reconciliation payment or repayment amount (opens in a new tab).
Book a 20-minute call
Tyler Kent can measure a question like this one in your own data. Start with a short call.
Prefer to skip the call? Get a written proposal
Or email tyler@kentapplied.com.