Home health care sits at a critical turning point. Policy shifts, workforce shortages, and accelerated technology adoption are reshaping how care is delivered — and how agencies must adapt to stay strong. It’s a conversation that leaders like Hannah Vale (CEO of HealthRev Partners), Jonathan Fleece (President & CEO of Empath Health), and Michael Quinn (Vice President of Partner Division at nVoq) continue to elevate across the industry.
Their perspectives highlight a shared truth: the future of home health won’t be built by doing more of the same. It will be built through innovation, advocacy, and deep investment in people.
Facing the Reality of the CMS Reimbursement Rule
Few challenges weigh as heavily on the industry today as the CY 2026 CMS Final Rule for Home Health, which outlines a 1.3% payment reduction. For many providers, such cuts would be unsustainable, with ripple effects that could reach patients in every corner of the country.
Luckily, the proposal of a 9% cut was not realized when the final rule was released. Jonathan Fleece didn’t mince words, calling the potential cuts catastrophic.
“If the proposed rule [was] truly final, and CMS and Congress support[ed] a 9% reimbursement cut, catastrophic is not a dramatic word,” he explained.
The reality is that any level of cut can have serious consequences, especially for smaller to mid-size agencies.
In a payment environment this tight, documentation quality directly determines how much agencies get paid – making accuracy, audit readiness, and first-pass claim acceptance more important than ever.
Beyond numbers on a page, these decisions could limit patient access to high-quality in-home care. As Hannah Vale emphasized, “They should be kissing the ground that we walk on in home health and hospice. We’re truly saving these payers’ money.”
HealthRev Partners believes advocacy matters now more than ever. Across agencies and associations alike, it’s time to elevate voices and partner for solutions that protect access to care and the financial health of our providers.
Technology as a Lifeline, Not a Luxury
As pressures mount, leveraging technology isn’t just beneficial, it’s indispensable. Companies like nVoq are leading the way with AI-powered clinical documentation technology that captures, structures, and formats the full patient narrative within the EHR, reducing rework and clinician burnout .
“Products like nVoq are not just optional anymore — they’re a lifeline,” noted Fleece. “We have to learn how to do more with less, and that means leaning into artificial intelligence.”
At the same time, tools that improve documentation and workflow efficiency do more than help with staffing challenges; they empower teams to deliver better, faster, more connected care.
How Documentation Became a Financial Strategy
Documentation is a core financial lever, not just a clinical requirement. By using AI-powered clinical documentation technology to capture complete, accurate notes at the point of care, agencies can reduce documentation time, decrease rework, and support cleaner, faster-paying claims. This shift turns everyday charting into a strategic asset: protecting revenue, reducing overtime and burnout, and giving clinicians more time with patients rather than at keyboards.
“One of the unique factors within nVoq is we truly need our clients to help us make the product better and to really serve the needs of the clinicians, who are really doing the most important work of all, taking care of our population,” Quinn emphasizes.
Read how Amedisys gained in quality, clinician experience, and improved reimbursement with AI-powered speech recognition. Read More
In the tight reimbursement environment, this perspective underscores a new reality in home health—that the pursuit of documentation quality is now one of the most powerful tools organizations have to stabilize margins and sustain growth.
Building Cultures That Retain and Inspire
Empath Health’s approach to workforce retention offers a model for the industry. By truly investing in its colleagues and volunteers, Empath keeps turnover below 20% — a remarkable achievement given today’s staffing climate.
The organization’s accredited nurse residency program, fully paying new nursing graduates during training, and its Empath Connect internal engagement platform both show what’s possible when leaders listen and invest. Even policies like paid parental leave were shaped directly through employee feedback — not mandates from the top down.
Retention, culture, and care quality are deeply connected. And as we often tell our partners, the path to sustainability begins by empowering the people who make patient care possible.
Learn how another home health agency, Capitol Health, is also increasing retention. Read More
Moving Forward Together
Home health continues to evolve, but collaboration remains its anchor. Whether it’s advocating for fair reimbursement, investing in next-generation tools, or creating cultures that keep teams strong, lasting progress depends on partners who understand both the clinical and financial realities agencies face.
As Jonathan Fleece put it, “We’re constantly planning scenarios for where to go next — and we will go together.”
The takeaway? The home health industry has never been more challenged or more capable. With shared advocacy, defensible documentation, and technology designed for real clinical workflows, agencies can protect margins, retain staff, and continue delivering high-quality care at home.
Learn how the HealthRev Partners and nVoq approach helps agencies strengthen documentation, reduce revenue leakage, and protect clinician capacity.
Talk to an Expert