Home health patients, advocates sue Becerra

Driving the news: The lawsuit alleges that the CMS payment model changes have impeded services for people in need of "part-time or intermittent" services usually totaling 28 or fewer hours a week.

• The plaintiffs detail difficulty finding consistent and enough home health aides between hospital stays or when needed, and some had to use their own finances to cover necessary care.
• The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Team Gleason, a Louisiana charity for ALS patients, are among the plaintiffs seeking an injunction to ensure that those who qualify "have reasonable access to the home health aide services."

What we're watching: Home health agencies might get a reprieve from the worst of the payment cuts, but the lawsuit alleges a broader access issue that is made more difficult with staffing shortages following the pandemic.