I just published a new study in Home Health Care Management and Practice. Here is the abstract:
The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has documented a significant increase in the number of Medicare beneficiaries opting for Medicare Advantage (MA, also referred to as Medicare Part C) Plans. As a result, there also has been an increase in Medicare Home Health beneficiaries receiving their home health through Medicare Advantage Plans. A literature review indicates there is only one quantitative study and no qualitative studies on the impact of this shift on home health on patient care, and none on home care nurses’ views on the impact on patient care. The current study is a qualitative study based on in-person interviews of a convenience sample of 48 home care nurses from nine different home health agencies in New York City between January 15, 2026, to March 25, 2026. Five major themes emerged, with nurses feeling: (1) the MA prior authorization process denials are frequent and adversely impact patient care; (2) MA Plans use of home health decreases the amount of home health visits; (3) decreased MA home health visits per patient adversely affects nurses’ ability to deliver appropriate care; (4) decreased visits per patient increases the likelihood of health care readmissions; and (5) decreased MA home health visits per patient increase the likelihood of patients developing further medical complications.
Citation:
Cabin, W. (2026). “it’s Too Late to matter”: A Qualitative Study of Home Health Nurses Views on
Medicare Advantage Home Health. Home Health Care
Management and Practice. https://doi.org10.1177/10848223261458743