BREAKING NEWS: The Home Health Final Rule is Finally Released!

Ellen Strunk, PT, MS, FAPTA

In typical fashion, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Home Health (HH) final rule during a holiday week.  But this year, the government shutdown delayed it even later.  At 4:15 EST on the day after Thanksgiving, the HH Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Final Rule was publicly posted.

You can find it here:  https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-21767/medicare-and-medicaid-programs-calendar-year-2026-home-health-prospective-payment-system-rate-update.  

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2025 APTA Home Health Elections

Elections are now open through November 30, 2025.  PT and PTA members were sent a ballot on November 1, 2025. 

APTA Home Health is governed by a four-person Executive Committee composed of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. 

• The officers of the Section assume office at the end of the Association’s Combined Sections Meeting
• The term of office of each officer shall be three (3) years, or until the election and assumption of office of his/her successor.
•  No member shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office, but shall be eligible again after one year’s absence from office.

Nominating Committee members also are elected by Home Health membership. 

• Members shall serve a term of 3 years, commencing at the close of the Association’s Combined Sections Meeting, if one is held, with one member elected each year. The member with seniority shall chair the committee.

Latest 'Quarterly Report' Available Electronically Now 

The Quarterly Report, the official newsletter of APTA Home Health, is published four times annually and is only available to APTA Home Health members.

The latest issue is available now -- Fall 2025, Vol. 60 No. 4 -- and can be downloaded as a PDF here. If you opted-in to receiving a printed copy, you should receive it in the mail in a few weeks.

Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1171/S.2612)

The Stopping Addiction and Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act (H.R. 1171/S.2612) is a bipartisan piece of legislation designed to integrate falls prevention services into Medicare’s standard care structure and offer physical therapy alternatives to opioid use after fall injuries. The SAFE Act would make two key changes by creating automatic referrals related to fallscreening and prevention.  Beneficiaries who report a fall during their one-time Initial Preventive Physical Examination (Welcome to Medicare Visit) would be referred to physical therapy for a falls risk assessment and preventive services. Similarly, those enrolled in Medicare for greater than 12 months who report a fall during their Annual Wellness Visit would receive a referral for a comprehensive physical therapy fall risk assessment.

According to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 older Americans falls each year, leading to 3 million ER visits, 1 million hospitalizations, and $50 billion in annual healthcare costs. In contrast, the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) September 2023 report, “The Economic Value of Physical Therapy in the United States”, found that targeted falls prevention physical therapy can cut costs by $2,100 per episode of care, highlighting a proven and cost-effective tool to help address this epidemic.

For physical therapists and physical therapist assistants working with older adults across many care settings, the SAFE Act could be transformative. By establishing these new referral pathways, this legislation would expand access to preventative care, which has historically been limited under Medicare. It would also support improved national data collection on falls and related treatment, helping demonstrate the value of preventive therapy and potentially serving to shape future policy and funding decisions.

H.R. 1171 is currently under review in the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees, with support from 27 bipartisan sponsors and cosponsors. The Senate version of the bill (S. 2612) was just introduced and has been referred to the Committee on Finance.  During APTA Capitol Hill Day on July 15, 2025, advocates rallied in support of many key pieces of legislation, including the SAFE Act.

To support the advancement of H.R. 1171, contact your legislators and urge them to demonstrate their support by cosponsoring these bills. APTA’s advocacy tools make it easy to contact them and stay engaged as the bill moves forward. Use this link, choose “Urge Your Representative to Cosponsor the SAFE Act” and create your message.