Dr. Steve Landers: an Interview

by Kristin Rowan | Nov 13, 2025 | Advocacy, CMS, Home Health, Hospice, Medicare, Regulatory

by Kristin Rowan, Editor

Dr. Steve Landers

An Interview from the Alliance Annual Meeting

On the heels of the inaugural National Alliance for Care at Home Annual Meeting & Expo, I sat down with Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers to talk about his feelings on the event, the current state of the industry, and the future of the Alliance.

In His Own Words

The Rowan Report:

We’re just about at the end of the first annual meeting since the merger of NHPCO and NAHC. What are your thoughts on how the event was received?

Dr. Steve Landers:

Yeah, it’s been great. You know, we have, we’ve had great attendance, and the energy has been good, and we’ve got diverse participation from people all throughout the care at home community from all over the country, and I think people learned a lot and got to spend time with friends and colleagues and do business. I’m feeling good about it.

RR: I assume you’ve learned alot and we’ll see some changes next year. Where will we be in 2026?

Steve: We’ll be in Washington, D.C. next fall. Also, our summer financial summit is still on the agenda. So, we’ll be in Boston and we’re hoping to see as many people out as possible.

Alliance Annual Meeting Review Steve Landers

Alliance Outlook 2026

RR: And your new board members, who start in January, were announced earlier. Sounds like you have some great people incoming next year. What is the focus for the organization in 2026?

Steve:

We are continuing to position ourselves as strong advocates in Washington for the issues that our members are facing. The whole board and team will be very much dug in and committed to putting the best possible effort forward on the big things that our members are facing from an advocacy standpoint. Of course, we want to continue to strengthen the member programming and the educational offerings. We are going to try to build on our partnership with the research institute for home care to try and add more research activities to the to the programming.

There are some things that we’re still not sure about how next year is going to look, because on the public policy front, we still have some kind of pending issues that we’re hoping get ironed out in a positive way. Depending on how the year wraps up, we could be very much still in a bit of a firefight, whether that’s the Medicare Home Health payment system, face to face certification access for hospice and home health services, or depending on if any type of Medicare Advantage legislation comes up. So there’s still a lot unknown about how the early year looks from an advocacy standpoint, but definitely, you know, with the existing board members and new board members and our team will be leading the way on those fronts.

Medicare Home Health Proposal

RR:

There are a lot of unknowns right now with the shutdown, the hospice carve out, and other issues we’re not really seeing any movement on. Is there any one unknown that is more challenging than others?

Steve: I think the most front and center issue is the Medicare Home Health payment proposal, because it was a terrible, misguided proposal that’s going to hurt lots of people, probably cost lives, cost the system more money, and so that’s definitely so visible and acute because it’s right with us.

If we see any more movement on this issue of hospice and Medicare Advantage that will certainly become more of an acute issue. We’re already taking it very seriously and are very actively and aggressively trying to push back that bad idea.

And, of course, the longer this government shutdown, the more harm there is with things like access to telehealth, so that’s high on our mind. There are a lot of other issues we’re concerned about with the future of Medicaid HCBS and the business environment for private duty home care as well. So, the list is long.

Advocacy

RR: Very long, indeed. During the opening keynote you mentioned a call for advocacy from everyone in attendance. Specifically, you mentioned presenting “one voice.” Are there current issues that has the industry divided?

Steve: I think we’re doing a good job of keeping people together. I think there’s always a risk when people get passionate and are wanting to solve problems. If we accidentally are publicly going in different directions, that’s not productive. I wouldn’t highlit any specifics, but I think, in general, the more we can come togehter on various issues because our goals are the same. None of us want to see care at home get cut back and over regulated. Everyone involved in these issues care about the same things. But, in Washington, when attention spans are very short, you only have so much political capital so we make sure we’re pushing for the same things in those advocacy efforts.

RR: Have you gotten any indication of where CMS is landing on the final payment rule? Last I heard, they had thousands of comments and feedback on the major cut.

Final Rule

Steve: They have received an incredible amount of comments. here have been meetings at all levels of the administration on these issues. We have outlined all of the aspects of this, from the access challenges to how cutting back home health is only going to lead to lead to higher overall expenses. We’ve given them a clear outline of the methodological flaws that they made in doing their calculations and their budget neutrality calculations. We’ve been very clear as well on where they have likely baked in data from pockets of fraud that are creating disadvantages for legitimate care providers in the way that the rate system comes out, So they have everything that they should need to reset these payments to where they should be based on the law. But, it’s a scary moment because they made this proposal in the first place, and at some point, somebody thought it was a good idea.

Keep Fighting

RR: What is the next step if the cuts happen?

Steve: If we don’t get what we’re hoping for, which is a real reset of these methodologies, then, the amount of teamwork and intense advocacy that’s going to have to happen to try to get Congress to fix this mistake is going to be enormous. And every one of us is going to have to put in whatever we can. Because, letting ourselves fall off of this type of cliff, letting patients and families fall off this kind of cliff, is just… it’s not… we’re gonna have to fight it every every step of the way. It’s just not right.

Commentary

The interview paused here. It was barely perceptible and nearly impossible to describe on paper. The depth of emotion conveyed in Dr. Landers’ words was palpable, sincere, and honest. In these few seconds, I was given the gift of insight on how completely Dr. Landers commits to this cause and how strong are his convictions. It was a powerful moment that I hope you all have the opportunity to witness.

Home Health Stabilization Act

RR: Both you and your predecessor, Bill Dombi, have talked about how devastating these cuts will be. Estimates of 50% of home health agencies closing, reduced access to care, loss of jobs for caregivers, and especially devastating to the patients. What if this doesn’t change? Obviously, it’s going to take everybody working together. But what’s the first step? Is there a plan?

Steve: Oh, yeah, we’ve already been working with champions in Congress to introduce H.R. 5142 the Home Health Stabilization Act of 2025. If passed into law, would halt these cuts for 2026 and 2027 and allow time to work with Congress and the administration on more comprehensive, long term fix to this total mess that’s been developed by these flawed methods and give time to really work on comprehensive solutions to some of the fraud and abuse issues and potentially other reforms that could help. Now, anytime you’re trying to get an act of Congress passed, especially with a Congress that’s not open right now, with only so many days left in the legislative calendar, that’s no guarantee either, but that is the contingency that we’ve been developing.

If they don’t fix their proposal, they’re going to march forward on January 1 with another set of cuts that are going to lead to more delays in care and more people getting referred and not getting care and more rural and high poverty communities not haveing access to care and more people going back to the hospital and costing the system more. There are life and death issues. Not just an inconvenience or a cost. People can die. It’s a big deal.

RR: I think the industry as a whole feels like CMS is only looking at the financial numbers and not the consequences of what theyre doing. There are real people who are being damaged by these decisions.

Steve: Yeah, the proposed rule did not seem to take these things into account and it was not a patient- or family-centered proposal. It’s not a final rule yet. Their final action is pending and they need to address those issues. They have a responsibility, I believe, as public servants. I believe there’s a moral obligation here to revisit what was done and get it right.

RR: And, we do have some advocates at the congressional level, correct?

Steve: Yeah, we’ve been working with members of Congress to get them to weigh in with the administration, to tell them “get your final rule right.” We have been working on a contigency that if the rule is not done correctly that Congress would force them through legislation to stop the cuts. We’re not there yet, but we could be any day now. We’ve done that work with Congress to make that progress. That amount of advocacy will require teamwork. This is one of the reasons I was trying to emphaze the importance of unity if we end up with a very short calendar and a really hard problem to solve. It’s going to be pretty intense.

RR: And we’ll be right there with you if that happens, saying “how can we help?” I know this is the most pressing issue right now, but is there anything else industry-wise that you’re looking forward to and excited about?

Future Outlook

Steve: You know, I think it’s been fun and exciting and in some ways inspiring to see this alliance community grow and build. Whether it’s all these new and innovative AI solutions that our members are getting excited about, how they can improve workflows and efficiences, or whether it’s the attention for the storytelling around the issues that our members care about on social media and earned media. There are a lot of reasons to be excited and enthusiastic about the future.

I think the AI advancements have been really exciting and interesting for the industry, because there’s so much that can be done. And certainly, regardless of how big the cuts are, any cuts are going to be difficult for home health, and especially on top of what we’ve already had, yeah, but, you know, you being able to use these AI solutions to kind of cut some of the costs and things and offset that is, is at least a silver lining in some of it, and improve the worker experience, maybe in ways that make it a little less burdensome, and you can maybe keep more people in the
workforce.

RR: Well, I want to congratulate you. You’ve made it through your firstfull year in thisposition. I think there was a sense of this event being the test, the “How did the two organizations really come together and produce this huge thing,” and, it seems likethe blending of the home health with the hospice has worked really. Attendance is high and the vibe seems to be very positive.

Steve: You know, there’s a test every day. We have to keep trying to serve our community, and it’s a journey. We’ve got a great board, and a great team. They’re focused on the mission. The team came together nicely after the merger. Now that it’s settling down, we’re just going to keep working towards a bright future. Just keep at it.

RR: I think you’ve handled it all really well and the success of this event is a testament to that, as well as the other education and advocacy you’ve accomplished in the last year. I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me today. Keep fighting the good fight.

Steve: Absolutely. Thank you.

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Kristin Rowan has been working at The Rowan Report since 2008. She is the owner and Editor-in-chief of The Rowan Report, the industry’s most trusted source for care at home news, and speaker on Artificial Intelligence and Lone Worker Safety and state and national conferences.

She also runs Girard Marketing Group, a multi-faceted boutique marketing firm specializing in content creation, social media management, and event marketing. Connect with Kristin directly kristin@girardmarketinggroup.com or www.girardmarketinggroup.com

©2025 by The Rowan Report, Peoria, AZ. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in The Rowan Report. One copy may be printed for personal use: further reproduction by permission only. editor@therowanreport.com

National Alliance Annual Meeting: A Review

by Kristin Rowan | Nov 13, 2025 | Editorial

by Kristin Rowan, Editor

National Alliance for Care at Home

Annual Meeting and Expo

Was anyone else waiting with great anticipation to see the first annual meeting after the merging of NAHC and NHPCO? Or was it just me? I attended the Financial Summit over the summer and didn’t sense much of a difference from the Financial Management Conference from years past. But, I had a feeling the fall event would be different.

First Impressions

Registration started early. I arrived on Saturday to experience some of New Orleans and was able to register that afternoon.

On Sunday, a full snack spread was available before the keynote address. Coffee, chips, cookies, soda. I overheard several positive comments about the snacks and drinks on my way in. There was a feeling of excitement in the air and it was instantly noticeable that attendance was up from years past.

Opening Session

Aesthetically dynamic stage backdrop. Extra large stage that rarely, if ever, had more than four people on it at a time. Acoustics in the very large room garbled some of the presentations.

Content for the opening session began with remarks from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. While somewhat political in nature, the address was uplifting and positive. Dr. Steve Landers, CEO of the Alliance closed the session with a brief industry update.

Perspectives From Both Sides

Interviewing several attendees, the reviews of the meeting were mixed, but predictable. Past members of NHPCO felt the educational sessions were too home health focused while past members of NAHC felt there was too much Hospice content.

Some attendees were “over” all the AI software while others were excited about where AI could help improve processes and cut expenses. For a more indepth look at the vendors, read our companion article from Editor Emeritus Tim Rowan as he highlights the companies tackling OASIS with AI.

The closing gala, hosted by National Hospice Foundation, a fundraiser reminiscent of NHPCO conferences but wholly foreign to NAHC members, sold out and the live and silent auctions gathered significant donations for the foundation. Attendees dressed to the nines for the event. Reviews following the evening were resoundingly positive.

The Best of the Best

Overwhelmingly, attendees highlighted two key features of this year’s meeting that stood out above all else.

The availability of snacks and drinks throughout the day was a welcome surprise. A variety of offerings were found outside the expo hall, outside breakout rooms, outside general session rooms, and even inside some breakout rooms. From before the opening keynote to just before the closing session, attendees never went hungry.

The coup de gras, as they say in New Orleans, was the keynote on Monday from the host of the Squeezed Podcast, Yvette Nicole Brown. Most known for her role as Shirley Bennett on Community, Yvette is a caregiver. She was the primary caregiver for her father for more than ten years as he battled Alzheimer’s. Yvette discussed how her role as a caregiver changed her, prompted her to start her podcast, and led her to champion sharing caregiver stories to strengthen organizational culture and support systems for caregivers. Her powerful story left many in tears and furthered the imperative call to advocacy echoed by the Alliance.

From the Alliance

Following the success of the inaugural annual event, the Alliance issued a press release and statement from Alliance CEO Steve Landers.

“This first annual meeting and expo as the Alliance showcased our strength as a unified organization. We were thrilled to bring together leaders in home health, hospice, and the breadth of care at home from across the nation to unite, learn, and share our commitment to creating a future where all Americans have access to high-quality, person-centered healthcare wherever they call home. We look forward to continuing to convene the care at home movement and work toward our shared purpose.”

Dr. Steve Landers

CEO, National Alliance for Care at Home

The Rowan Report sat down with Dr. Landers just before the closing session. Read the interview here.

Final Thoughts

Members of NHPCO and NAHC saw noticeable differences from their past events. This was inevitable after the merger and not unexpected. As a whole, the event was organized, well-run, enjoyable, informational, and well-received. I’d say the Alliance had a successful first run and we look forward to continued improvements in years to come.

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Kristin Rowan has been working at The Rowan Report since 2008. She is the owner and Editor-in-chief of The Rowan Report, the industry’s most trusted source for care at home news, and speaker on Artificial Intelligence and Lone Worker Safety and state and national conferences.

She also runs Girard Marketing Group, a multi-faceted boutique marketing firm specializing in content creation, social media management, and event marketing. Connect with Kristin directly kristin@girardmarketinggroup.com or www.girardmarketinggroup.com

©2025 by The Rowan Report, Peoria, AZ. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in The Rowan Report. One copy may be printed for personal use: further reproduction by permission only. editor@therowanreport.com

Alliance to Congress: STOP CUTS

by Kristin Rowan | Oct 30, 2025 | Advocacy, CMS, Home Health, Medicare

by Kristin Rowan, Editor

9% Cut Proposed

CMS proposed home health rule for 2026 includes disastrous cuts. A 3.2% market basket increase, a 0.8% productivity cut, a 5% reduction to recoup prior overpayments, and a 4.1% permanent reduction to prevent further overpayments. CMS proposed an additional 0.5% cut to account for high-risk outliers. In other words, CMS wants to pay less for all patients to make up for the small percentage of patients who need more care.

Deadline Looming

The mandatory comment period ended on August 29. Next, CMS reviews the submitted comments, responds to those comments (generally explaining why they are not going to listen), and then finalizes the 2026 rule. The final rule is due November 1, 2025. Although, that falls on a Saturday, so the deadline may extend to Monday. A good many of us will be in New Orleans for the Alliance annual conference and expo by then.

Group Effort

The National Alliance for Care at Home (Alliance) joined 150+ provider, patient, community, and advocacy groups to write a letter to Congress urging them to prevent the CMS proposed cut.

“The proposed payment reductions for home health pose a serious threat to the health and safety of Medicare beneficiaries and to the broader integrity of our healthcare system. With the 2026 payment rule under review and due by November 1, we urge you to promptly intervene and press CMS to stop the cuts and realign payments.”

Pattern of Payment Reduction

The letter, addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, asks Congress to look at the consecutive years of pay reductions and how they have impacted home health. Because of the cuts, agencies have gone out of business or downsized, leaving rural areas without care.

Home Health Costs Less

The letter also explains that cutting medicare payments actually costs more. When more patients have access to home health, CMS spends less on unplanned hospital visits and ER trips. Patients have fewer falls and accidents. Risk factors are identified earlier and preventative treatments are used before a patient’s condition requires hospitalization. Home health patients stay home years longer than those not receiving home health before entering a skilled nursing or assisted living facility.

What's at Risk

The Medicare Trust Fund, funded partially by payroll taxes, includes hospital insurance that pays for hospital (Medicare Part A) services. When these costs increase, the trust fund is at risk being insolvent and taxes are increased to put money back into the fund. Lowering home health payment rates and cutting off millions of people who depend on home health will impact tax payers as well.

“The cuts currently proposed to Medicare’s home health benefit are unsustainable and would be deeply harmful to those who depend on care at home. The Alliance will continue to work with policymakers and our stakeholder allies to oppose these harmful cuts and protect access to home health services for millions of older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their families.”

Dr. Steve Landers

CEO, National Alliance for Care at Home

The Alliance issued a press release with the highlights from the letter. You can read the full letter here.

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Kristin Rowan has been working at The Rowan Report since 2008. She is the owner and Editor-in-chief of The Rowan Report, the industry’s most trusted source for care at home news, and speaker on Artificial Intelligence and Lone Worker Safety and state and national conferences.

She also runs Girard Marketing Group, a multi-faceted boutique marketing firm specializing in content creation, social media management, and event marketing. Connect with Kristin directly kristin@girardmarketinggroup.com or www.girardmarketinggroup.com

©2025 by The Rowan Report, Peoria, AZ. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in The Rowan Report. One copy may be printed for personal use: further reproduction by permission only. editor@therowanreport.com

Medicare Home Health Cuts: Survey Says

by Rowan Report | Sep 4, 2025 | Partner News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elyssa Katz
571-281-0220
communications@allianceforcareathome.org

70% of Americans Oppose Medicare Home Health Cuts, National Poll Finds

Alexandria VA, and Washington, DC, September 4, 2025– A new national poll by Fabrizio Ward, commissioned by the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance), finds that seven in ten Americans oppose the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) 2026 Medicare home health proposed rule, which would slash Medicare home health funding by an additional 9%, or $1.1 billion, next year. These cuts would put lifesaving home health care for millions of Americans at risk, particularly seniors and those with disabilities, while doing nothing to address fraud, waste, and abuse occurring in the home health payment system.

In one of the strongest bipartisan rebukes of Medicare home health cuts to date, the poll found overwhelming opposition across party lines. Large majorities of voters support targeting cost savings to eliminating waste and fraud rather than across-the-board cuts. Voters widely recognize that home health provides significant savings for taxpayers, that lack of access to home health due to recent cuts hurts Medicare patients, and that many more would be hurt if the proposed cuts go into effect.

“The results send a crystal-clear message: Americans want more home-based care, not less, and preserving access to care is critical. Cutting home health doesn’t save money – it hurts patients, worsens outcomes, and costs taxpayers more in the long run.”

Dr. Steve Landers

CEO, National Alliance for Care at Home

The poll reveals Americans see home health as essential to keeping patients safe at home, lowering costs, and easing pressure on already overburdened hospitals and emergency rooms.

Key findings:

70% of all voters oppose Medicare cutting home health services by an additional 9% next year.
91% of all voters believe it’s important that home health services be available when Medicare patients require extra medical support.
55% of all voters support President Trump taking steps to reverse the proposed Medicare home health cuts and ordering a crackdown on fraud in the system.
71% of all voters believe home care is the most affordable care option, compared to just 17% who believe hospital care is more affordable.
73% of all voters say that cutting Medicare home health harms patients and legitimate providers while failing to stop the fraudulent operators that scam hundreds of millions of dollars from the program each year is a good reason to oppose the cuts.

“With more than one out of every two voters either on Medicare, or with a parent on Medicare, voters are clear that people want treatment at home if it’s an option and that home medical care is less expensive than care provided at hospitals and nursing homes. Voters also see the folly in across-the-board cuts that harm everyone rather than focusing efforts to root out known fraud in the home health system. Across the political spectrum voters oppose cuts and support redoubling efforts to fight fraud.”

Tony Fabrizio

Partner, Fabrizio Ward

“These numbers should give every lawmaker pause,” Dr. Landers cautioned. “Patients want to recover where they’re safest – at home. It’s time for Congress to protect what’s working and stop the home-care bleeding. Lawmakers have an opportunity to protect a program that saves lives, lowers costs, enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support, and reflects the clear will of the American people.”

The Alliance is urging Congress and CMS not to finalize the proposed payment cuts and to work with providers to revise their approach and strengthen, not weaken, access to home-based care.

A memo of the poll findings can be found here.

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About the National Alliance for Care at Home

The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is the leading authority in transforming care in the home. As an inclusive thought leader, advocate, educator, and convener, we serve as the unifying voice for providers and recipients of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and Medicaid home and community-based services throughout all stages of life. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.

Alliance Responds to Hospice Final Rule

by Kristin Rowan | Aug 7, 2025 | Advocacy, CMS, Hospice, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Regulatory

by Kristin Rowan, Editor

The Alliance Responds to CMS Hospice Final Rule

CMS Issues FY 2026 Hospice Final Rule

On August 1, 2026, CMS issues the FY 2026 Hospice Wage Index and Payment Rate Update and Hospice Quality Reporting Programs Requirements Final Rule. Here are the high-level changes in this year’s final rule:

Rate Setting Changes
- A 3.3% inpatient hospital market basket percentage increase
- A 0.7% productivity adjustment (read decrease)
- Statutory cap increases from $34,465.34 to $35,361.44
Hospice Care Admission
- The physician member of the interdisciplinary group (IDG) may recommend admission to hospice care
Face-to-Face Attestation
- Signature and date requirements restored
- Eliminated requirement for attestation to be a separate and distinct document
- Attestation requirement can be a section or addendum to recert form, or part of a signed and dated clinical note
Hospice Quality Reporting Program

The HOPE tool will replace the HIS tool on October 1, 2025, despite comments to delay implementation
CMS published a HOPE Technical Information webpage ,an HQRP training library, and a Requirements and Best Practices webpage
CMS recognized the error in their HOPE burden calculations. The burden is 21.1% higher than initially reported. The difference will be “taken into consideration” in the next PRA package submission.
The separate reporting tool (QIES) and reports tool (CASPER) will sunset and iQIES will replace both tools.

FY 2026 Hospice Quality Reporting Program

National Alliance for Care at Home Statement

After CMS issued the final rule, the Alliance responds with a statement addressing the wage adjustment, HOPE tool implementation, and sttestation changes. Read the full press release here.

Wage Adjustment

The Alliance recognizes that the 2.6% wage update is higher than the proposed 2.4% adjustment issued earlier this year. However, The Alliance maintains its position that the update does not go far enough to offset the very high and very real operational costs that hospices across the country face.

Regulatory Relief

Both the physician member of the IDG recommending hospice admission and the inclusion of a clinical note to serve as attestation of a face-to-face were welcome changes to hospice regulations. The Alliance thanked CMS for these changes.

HOPE Tool Implementation

The Alliance was among the many commenters to CMS about the October 1, 2025 implementation date for the HOPE tool. Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers had this to say:

Despite responsiveness in other areas, the Alliance is deeply disappointed that CMS did not heed recommendations and delay the October 1, 2025 implementation of the Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) tool nor waive the timeliness completion requirement for HOPE record submission. We expect providers to face a burdensome transition and urge CMS to remain responsive to real-world challenges, offering flexibility as providers navigate the change.

Dr. Steve Landers

CEO, National Alliance for Care at Home

The Alliance is committed to working with CMS to reduce spending and strengthen the Medicare hospice benefit. They also continue to support the CMS initiative to reduce fraud, waste, and abuse.

Final Thoughts

The Hospice Final Rule is not what we hoped for. The wage update was increase, but not by enough to make a real impact on the operational burden hospices face. CMS has provided technical training and education for the HOPE tool, but severely underestimated the financial burden connected to the transition. CMS continues to use outdated, incorrect, or faulty information in its calculations of wage rate updates and ignores the repeated comments from advocacy groups and hospice providers.

# # #

Kristin Rowan has been working at The Rowan Report since 2008. She is the owner and Editor-in-chief of The Rowan Report, the industry’s most trusted source for care at home news, and speaker on Artificial Intelligence and Lone Worker Safety and state and national conferences.

She also runs Girard Marketing Group, a multi-faceted boutique marketing firm specializing in content creation, social media management, and event marketing. Connect with Kristin directly kristin@girardmarketinggroup.com or www.girardmarketinggroup.com

©2025 by The Rowan Report, Peoria, AZ. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in The Rowan Report. One copy may be printed for personal use: further reproduction by permission only. editor@therowanreport.com

First Joint Event for NAHC & NHPCO

by Rowan Report | Aug 7, 2025 | Events, Home Health, Hospice, Partner News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2025
PHOTO LINK

National Alliance for Care at Home Hosts Inaugural Financial Summit

Over 700 industry leaders gather in Chicago for three-day event focused on financial leadership and innovation in home-based care

(Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC) — The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) successfully hosted its inaugural event, the 2025 Alliance Financial Summit, July 27-29 in Chicago, IL. The Summit brought together financial leaders from across the care at home community, with expert-led sessions, peer collaboration, and insights into market shifts and emerging technologies.

Arrival in Chicago

Welcome

The Summit officially launched Sunday evening with an opening keynote by Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, Founder and CEO of Skin Metal and Author of “Mama Doc Medicine.” Dr. Swanson delivered a forward-looking presentation on the intersection of medicine and technological innovation. The evening concluded with a Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall.

Keynote

The day’s keynote session featured Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers alongside a panel of experts including Ken Albert, President and CEO of Andwell Health; Trisha Crissman, President and CEO of CommonSpirit Health at Home; and Hillary Loeffler, Vice President of Policy & Regulatory Affairs for the Alliance. Panel discussions addressed the potential impact of payment cuts in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Calendar Year 2026 Home Health proposed rule, hospice policy developments, workforce challenges and solutions, and actionable strategies for providers to protect the future of home-based care. Attendees then moved into a full day of concurrent sessions before an evening reception on the Chicago River.

Steven Landers, CEO, The Alliance, Financial Summit

The Alliance Financial Summit Riverwalk Reception

The Alliance Financial Summit Attendee Map

Networking and Education

Tuesday featured dedicated peer-to-peer networking sessions, allowing for informal conversation and knowledge sharing, before the opportunity for more concurrent sessions. The Summit concluded with a closing keynote expert panel featuring leaders from the Alliance’s Home Health and Hospice Financial Managers Association (HHFMA).

“This first Alliance event exceeded our expectations, bringing together care at home leaders from across the nation to connect, learn, and recommit to our shared vision of an America where everyone has access to the highest quality, person-centered healthcare wherever they call home,” said Alliance CEO Dr. Steve Landers. “The content was both practical, grounded in the day-to-day challenges and successes of providers, while incorporating innovation and aspiration to drive future growth and success.”

The Alliance has announced two additional events for 2025: Alliance Advocacy Week, September 8-11 in Washington, DC, and the National Alliance for Care at Home Annual Meeting and Exposition, November 1-4 in New Orleans, LA.

# # #

About the National Alliance for Care at Home

The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is the leading authority in transforming care in the home. As an inclusive thought leader, advocate, educator, and convener, we serve as the unifying voice for providers and recipients of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and Medicaid home and community-based services throughout all stages of life. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.

Press Contact
communications@allianceforcareathome.org
Elyssa Katz | 571-281-0220

“Planning for In-Home Care”

by Rowan Report | Jul 24, 2025 | Advocacy, Home Health, Hospice, Partner News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Elyssa Katz
571-281-0220
communications@allianceforcareathome.org

The Alliance’s CaringInfo Program Launches New “Planning for In-Home Care” Section

Rebrands to Align with Expansion to Serve Full Home-Based Care Continuum

ALEXANDRIA, VA and WASHINGTON, DC – CaringInfo.org, a program of the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance), is expanding its resources with a new website section – “Planning for In-Home Care” – as well as a brand refresh to align with its growing audience. CaringInfo provides free resources to educate and empower patients and caregivers to make informed decisions about home, serious illness, and end-of-life care and services.

CaringInfo

While CaringInfo began with a focus on serious illness and end-of-life care and support, the program’s content is expanding to provide information and resources on the full spectrum of home-based care services. As a first step in this expansion, CaringInfo has launched “Planning for In-Home Care,” a new section on the website focused on the various types of care available at home.

Planning for In-Home Care

The new section covers essential topics including when in-home care is needed, preparing for in-home caregivers, who provides in-home care services, how to find a caregiver, and how to pay for in-home care.

“CaringInfo is a valuable resource used widely among hospice, palliative, and advance care planning experts and professionals as well as patients and families who need help and guidance.”

Dr. Steve Landers

CEO, The National Alliance for Care at Home

Landers, continued, “The launch of ‘Planning for In-Home Care’ marks an exciting step in the continued expansion of CaringInfo to provide resources and guidance on the full continuum of home-based care and to serve as a resource to all providers under the Alliance umbrella. Finding and navigating care at home can be difficult for patients and their loved ones, especially as it is often needed during life’s most vulnerable moments. These free, accessible resources help ensure everyone seeking home-based care can make informed decisions to get the support they need.”

Visual Update

The updated CaringInfo design is intended to remain familiar for return visitors who trust the site as their go-to source for making care decisions, while aligning with the Alliance’s core brand. This visual update indicates CaringInfo’s realignment to serve the full home-based care community, including home health, home care, Medicaid HCBS, palliative care, and hospice providers.

CaringInfo’s goal is that all people are making informed decisions about their care. In addition to easy-to-understand information about caregiving, advance care planning, and the types of care available to those who need it, CaringInfo also offers a complete library of annotated advance directive forms for all 50 states, plus Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. The full site is available in both English and Spanish.

Visit CaringInfo.org, which is free and available to all, to explore the full site as well as the new content.

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About the National Alliance for Care at Home

The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is the leading authority in transforming care in the home. As an inclusive thought leader, advocate, educator, and convener, we serve as the unifying voice for providers and recipients of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and Medicaid home and community-based services throughout all stages of life. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.

Alliance Member Testifies Before Congress

by Rowan Report | Mar 13, 2025 | Advocacy, Outcomes, Partner News, Regulatory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Elyssa Katz
571-281-0220

Tom Threlkeld
202-547-7424

communications@allianceforcareathome.org

Alliance Member, Jonathan Fleece, Testifies Before Congress on the Value of Care at Home

Ways & Means Health Subcommittee Hearing on “After the Hospital: Ensuring Access to Quality Post-Acute Care”

(Washington, DC and Alexandria, VA) – The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) released the following statement at the conclusion of a hearing conducted by the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health on After the Hospital: Ensuring Access to Quality Post-Acute Care:

“The Alliance thanks Chairman Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Ranking Member Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), and all members of the Health Subcommittee for convening this important discussion on post-acute care. This hearing provided an opportunity to amplify the voices of home health and hospice providers and reinforce the essential role they play in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care in the setting people prefer—at home.”

Dr. Steve Landers

CEO, The Alliance

Alliance Member Testifies: Thank you, Jonathan Fleece

“We are especially grateful to Jonathan Fleece, CEO of Empath Health, for sharing his expertise and for his service on behalf of patients and families. Empath Health has long been a leader in setting the standard for high-quality, patient-centered care, and we appreciate its commitment to advancing care at home.

“As our nation’s population rapidly ages, it is more critical than ever to get these policies right and ensure that home health and hospice remain accessible and protected from harmful cuts and unnecessary administrative burdens. Not only is care at home beloved by patients and families, but it is also cost-efficient, easing strain on the healthcare system by reducing reliance on institutional care and allowing people to heal where they feel most comfortable.”

Jonathan Fleece The Alliance Testifies Before Congress

Continued Advocacy from The Alliance

“Coming out of this hearing, the Alliance remains committed to working with Congress and the Administration to strengthen home health and hospice, safeguard access to these essential services, and advance policies that support their long-term sustainability. We will continue advocating against payment cuts that threaten access, promoting value-based care models, and ensuring regulatory oversight enhances—rather than hinders—the ability of providers to deliver the best possible care.”

To read the full subcommittee hearing testimony of Jonathan Fleece, CEO of Empath Health, click here.

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About the National Alliance for Care at Home

The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO have combined operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.   

Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare to Cease Operation

by Rowan Report | Jan 23, 2025 | M&A, Partner News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contacts: Elyssa Katz
571-281-0220

Thomas Threlkeld
202-547-7424
communications@allianceforcareathome.org

Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare Combines Efforts with Alliance

WASHINGTON, D.C., JANUARY 17, 2025. The Board of Directors of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (PQHH) plans to cease operations of the organization effective March 1, 2025. Moving forward, the PQHH Board of Directors will combine efforts with the National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance).

Advocacy

By establishing a unified and robust industry voice through the Alliance, the PQHH Board of Directors hopes to advance the public policy and regulatory issues affecting the home health community’s shared vision of a healthcare system that fully recognizes the essential role of home health in delivering compassionate and value-driven care.

Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare The Alliance

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“We have the deepest gratitude for all who have served this organization and championed PQHH’s mission, especially our Chief Executive Officer Joanne Cunningham, who has expertly managed and successfully driven PQHH’s agenda and advocacy for nearly 7 years. Joanne’s commitment to this sector and expertise in planning and executing federal advocacy is unmatched in the home health community and will continue to have a positive, lasting impact on our industry and our patients.”

David Baiada

Chairman, Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare

PQHH History

Since its founding in 2010, PQHH has been dedicated to ensuring access to high-quality home healthcare for all Americans. Throughout its history, PQHH has maintained an unwavering focus on this mission, including in this pivotal moment.

“Through the work of the Partnership and the Alliance, the Medicare home health community has forged strong relationships in Congress and with CMS that have well positioned the sector for future success, and which we look forward to building upon in the future. With a unified industry voice, we can continue to educate the policy community on the importance of care at home to American families.”

Dr. Steven Landers, MD, MPH

Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance for Care at Home

The PQHH Board of Directors’ decision to combine efforts with the Alliance follows careful consideration of the current state of home health policy, the post-election political landscape, and significant industry developments.

“By combining efforts with the Alliance, we look forward to strengthening the unity and resources of our sector,” added Baiada.

“The Board of Directors for the National Alliance for Care at Home unanimously supports the decision by PQHH to align efforts and resources with the Alliance to further unify our industry. The core of our vision underlying the merger with NHPCO has always been to create a community where all care-at-home stakeholders can invest the time, energy and resources necessary to produce the results required to secure our places in the continuum of health care in America. We are beyond pleased that PQHH leaders share in this vision. It is not trite to assert that we will be stronger together.”

Ken Albert

Board Chair, The Alliance

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About the National Alliance for Care at Home

The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) is a new national organization representing providers of home care, home health, hospice, palliative care, and other health care services mainly delivered in the home. The Alliance brings together two organizations with nearly 90 years of combined experience: NAHC and NHPCO. NAHC and NHPCO are in the process of combining operations to better serve members and lead into the future of care offered in the home. Learn more at www.AllianceForCareAtHome.org.

UnitedHealth Study: Is Medicare Advantage Killing Seniors

by Tim Rowan | Oct 25, 2024 | CMS, Editorial, Medicare Advantage, Regulatory

by Tim Rowan, Editor Emeritus

Is Medicare Advantage Killing Us?

Dr. Steve Landers has long been eloquent in his speaking and writing about the importance of Home Health over the years. Though I was already impressed, I gained a new level of respect this week. Simultaneously with his debut as CEO of the new Alliance, Dr. Landers released an article about a recent study on the impact of Medicare Advantage on Medicare beneficiaries.

It is an article that everyone in our healthcare sector should read.

In “Home Health Cuts and Barriers are Life and Death Issues for Medicare Beneficiaries,” Dr. Landers points readers toward a study conducted by Dr. Elan Gada of UnitedHealthcare’s Optum Group. The results are disturbing. That the findings were released by a Medicare Advantage company is surprising.

Yes, Virginia, Home Healthcare Really Does Save Lives

Landers cited the study’s primary finding. “Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in their plan who did not receive needed home health care after hospitalization were 42% more likely to die in the 30 days following a hospital stay than those who received the prescribed care.” If a drug proved to be as effective as post-discharge home healthcare in saving lives, Landers wrote, “it would dominate the news, restricting access would be considered immoral, and health officials would be pushing its adoption.”

Medicare Advantage Enrollees Go Without

There are a number of reasons a hospital discharged patient might not receive home healthcare, including system issues and patient refusal. However, Dr. Gada’s study also discovered that MA customers go without post-discharge home health at a higher rate than traditional Medicare beneficiaries. Traditional Medicare beneficiaries go without in-home care about 25% of the time. Medicare Advantage beneficiaries 38% of the time. Landers notes that this data is a few years old and that the denial rate for MA customers is likely higher today.

Stop the Killing

We know the life-saving impact of post-hospital home healthcare. The question becomes: how does our little corner of the U.S. healthcare system help regulators and payers to know it as well as we do? At this week’s inaugural conference of the National Alliance for Care at Home, at least three education sessions discussed Medicare Advantage. All three offered strategies for negotiating with insurance companies and surviving under their oppressive rate structures and their frequent care denials.

UnitedHealth Group Medicare Advantage Landers

These Are Bandages, Not Cures

In previous opinion pieces, I have quoted revelations in government lawsuits against MA divisions of insurance companies. These prove the program that was originally launched to extend the lifespan of the Medicare Trust Fund actually costs CMS 118 percent of what traditional Medicare costs. At the same time, insurance company reports to shareholders proudly point out that their MA division is their most profitable.

One of last week’s most read stories was the report from UnitedHealth Group on their astounding Q3 growth.

In the Long Run

Learning to cope with MA care denials and below-cost visit payments is fine for those focused on making next month’s payroll. An entirely different tactic is needed for those focused on the care needs of their elderly parents or who are approaching age 65 themselves. The question must be asked, “Why does Medicare Advantage exist?”

Medicare Advantage Lobbyists

AHIP is the insurance company lobby. It put extreme pressure on Congress in 2009 when the Affordable Care Act was being written. That pressure resulted in then-President Obama removing a core plank from his bill. Obama struck the public option healthcare insurance plan in order to win enough votes to get the bill to his desk.

More $ Makes More $

That lobbying effort continues today precisely because MA is so profitable. How does it bring in so much cash? One after another, all of the large insurance companies have been caught padding patient assessments, the very fraud Home Health is so often accused of. Their monthly checks are determined by how much care they predict their covered lives will need, and they exaggerate it. Later, when it comes time to treat these same customers, MA plans deny care that would have been covered by traditional Medicare. They book profits at both ends, and they gladly pay the minimal fines when the practice is exposed.

The Reality of Medicare Advantage Fraud

To make each covered life more profitable, MA plans have begun calling customers to offer “free” nurse visits. These are essentially re-assessments where the MA staffer is rewarded for “finding” additional illnesses. This is not theoretical. My brother was offered a $50 gift certificate to CVS if he would allow his wife’s MA plan representative to drop in and chat with her, to “make sure she was getting all the benefits she was entitled to.”

Dr. Steven Landers: Call for Advocacy

In his article and in his speeches this week, Dr. Landers made it quite clear what must be done. EVERY person whose livelihood depends on the Medicare Trust Fund must make their voice heard. Letters and phone calls to Congress, to the Senate, to CMS, and to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, telling them you do not want to happen to your community what happened in Maine. After years of negative profit margins, in a state where MA adoption is at two-thirds, Andwell Health Partners ceased business in a wide swath of the northern regions of the state. Andwell was the only Home Health provider there.

The combined advocacy strength of NAHC and NHPCO is not enough to tip the scales. Your input is crucial.

Here's How it Works:

Your letter explaining the damage coming from shrinking CMS reimbursement and MA care denials will be opened by a Congressional staffer.
The staffer will read only enough of your letter to see its topic and which side of that topic you are on.
No need to be lengthy or eloquent
Put your topic and your position in your first paragraph
The staffer will add a checkmark in the pro or con side of their Home Health ledger.
The Congressperson, Senator, HHS Secretary will see a one-page summary of the numbers.
When the numbers are small, the summary goes into a file
When the numbers are large, the elected or appointed official will pay attention
In rare cases, you may even get a phone call

UnitedHealth Group Advocacy Medicare Advantage

Dr. Landers, in His Own Words

The article Dr. Landers wrote detailing all of these includes wording suggestions for your message in your letter and/or call. For convenience, I have included one paragraph below,* but I urge you to spend three minutes reading the entire inspiring and frightening piece. In person, he explained all this in an emotional appeal. He said he cannot emphasize enough the importance of universal participation in our new organization’s advocacy effort. Based on what we have learned about post-hospital nursing care in the home, your letters and phone calls are a matter of life and death.

Excerpt

*To save lives and avoid unnecessary suffering, Medicare officials must reverse their plans to cut Traditional Medicare home health payments for 2025 and ensure payments are stable after adjusting for the dramatically increased healthcare labor cost inflation experienced over the past 5 years. Additionally, Medicare officials and lawmakers must study and address the possibility of the disproportionate administrative and financial barriers to home health in Medicare Advantage.

We are fortunate to have leaders in Congress like Senator Debbie Stabenow, Senator Susan Collins, Representative Terri Sewell, and Representative Adrian Smith who are working to champion a comprehensive bi-partisan legislative fix. Our leaders in Washington must act swiftly, before the end of the year, to save lives and avoid further destabilizing home health services for Medicare beneficiaries.

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Tim Rowan is a 30-year home care technology consultant who co-founded and served as Editor and principal writer of this publication for 25 years. He continues to occasionally contribute news and analysis articles under The Rowan Report’s new ownership. He also continues to work part-time as a Home Care recruiting and retention consultant. More information: RowanResources.com
Tim@RowanResources.com

©2024 by The Rowan Report, Peoria, AZ. All rights reserved. This article originally appeared in Healthcare at Home: The Rowan Report.homecaretechreport.com One copy may be printed for personal use: further reproduction by permission only. editor@homecaretechreport.com