Breaking Down the 2026 Home Health Final Rule with Scott Levy and Luke James

Scott Levy of the National Alliance for Care at Home and Luke James, President of VitalCaring Group, join Tom Maxwell on Last Visit First to break down CMS's Calendar Year 2026 Home Health Final Rule. This conversation is timely, detailed, and one of the most important episodes we have recorded for leaders in home based care.

Tom sits down with Scott and Luke to explain how CMS reached the final 1.3 percent cut, why the permanent adjustment shift matters, what changed in PDGM, and how the rule affects payments, operations, visit patterns, and staffing across the country. They also cover wage index swings, VBP changes, outlier policy, advocacy wins, financial planning, and what all of this means for the future of home health and hospice.

If you want a clear and practical breakdown of the Final Rule from two of the most trusted policy and operations voices in the industry, this episode is for you.

Mentioned in the Episode:
-CMS 2026 Home Health Final Rule
-PDGM recalibration and payment updates
-Wage index shifts and FDL changes
-Value Based Purchasing updates
-Telehealth limits in home health
-Recruiting and retention challenges
-National Alliance for Care at Home advocacy efforts
-VitalCaring operational insights

Timestamps:
-00:00 HCHB featured commercial
-00:48 Introduction to the 2026 Final Rule
-03:06 Dissecting the Payment Structure
-10:53 Understanding the Impact of Cuts
-16:53 Maxwell TEC sponsor (nanaCONNECT and REACH)
-18:08 PDGM Recalibration and Cost Reports
-23:13 Clinical and Operational Changes
-29:35 Value Based Payments and Quality Metrics
-32:00 Challenges in Rural Healthcare Access
-33:13 Episode sponsor Levo
-33:54 Revisiting Visit Patterns Amid Rate Pressures
-36:16 The Impact of Telehealth on Home Health
-41:06 Understanding Fixed Dollar Loss Ratio
-44:26 StenoHealth sponsor
-45:24 Budgeting Strategies for Home Health Agencies
-49:31 The Future of Smaller Agencies in Home Health
-53:10 Recruitment and Retention in Home Health
-56:39 Reflections on Last Visit First
-01:01:05 Thank You and Reach Out if Needed

Guest Links:
-National Alliance for Care at Home: https://allianceforcareathome.org/
-Scott Levy on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/scott-levy-09a8829b
-VitalCaring Group: https://www.vitalcaring.com/
-Luke James on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/luke-james-9bb93821

Special Thank You to Our Sponsors:
-Premier Sponsor: Homecare Homebase: https://hchb.com/
-Maxwell TEC: https://maxwelltec.com/
-Episode Sponsor: Levo: https://www.hellolevo.com/
-StenoHealth: https://www.stenohealth.com/

Listen to Last Visit First:
-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/last-visit-first/id1830051182
-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3iSKGRvHC9Bk3iq7l8UPxs
-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lastvisitfirstpodcast
-Website: https://www.lastvisitfirst.com
-LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/last-visit-first

About Last Visit First:
Last Visit First brings real conversations with leaders shaping home based care. Hosted by Tom Maxwell, Chairman of Maxwell TEC. Subscribe for more episodes on home health, hospice, policy, leadership, and the future of care at home.
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Видео Breaking Down the 2026 Home Health Final Rule with Scott Levy and Luke James канала Last Visit First