HCBS News 2026August14

Kierstin Reed • August 13, 2026

LeadingAge Supports Bill That Includes Medicare Coverage for In-Home Services 

U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-MI-06) and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced bicameral legislation, The Medicare At Home Act, to establish a new long-term care services benefit as part of the Medicare program. This benefit would include up to 20 hours per week per individual of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs covered under Medicare Par B. This coverage would be separate from home health services covered currently under Medicare regulations. To be eligible for the benefit, an individual must require assistance with at least 2 ADLs, 2 IADLs, or a combination of them. The Medicare At Home Act would help older adults and people with disabilities remain safely in their homes and communities through the expanded home care coverage. LeadingAge has been advocating for greater access to a variety of home and community based services including adult day services for older adults. Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO, LeadingAge lent our support to the bill saying, "LeadingAge applauds Congresswoman Dingell and Senator Kim's longstanding leadership in advancing access to care in the home and community. The Medicare at Home Act sets an agenda and important focus for the future by expanding Medicare coverage to include personal care services in the home–a critical need that many older adults and families mistakenly assume is paid for by the current Medicare benefit. We look forward to working with Congresswoman Dingell and Senator Kim to address this shortcoming in access and affordability while also ensuring our nonprofit and mission-driven members are equipped to deliver high-quality care wherever people call home.” The joint press statement notes, "Currently, Medicare does not cover long-term care at home. As a result, families across the country face staggering out-of-pocket expenses, forcing many to deplete their savings to qualify for Medicaid or rely heavily on unpaid family caregivers. The Medicare At Home Act eliminates these financial barriers by making home-based care an accessible, affordable part of Medicare coverage.” The bill text is available here


By Kierstin Reed August 13, 2026
LeadingAge Webinar on Tenant Compliance Must-Dos for Affordable Senior Housing, August 19, 2-3:15 p.m. ET. Join the LeadingAge housing community for a webinar by compliance expert Jenny DeSilva, who will review unique rules and requirements for HUD-assisted senior housing communities. Participants will receive practical guidance to stay prepared for HUD oversight while supporting older adults as they age in community. Register here . Affordable housing Weekly Recap . Here is your weekly Affordable Housing Weekly Recap
By Kierstin Reed August 13, 2026
CMS Releases Home Health Agency PEPPER Reports
By Kierstin Reed August 13, 2026
New Guidance from IRS on No Tax on Overtime Last week, the Internal Revenue Service issued updated FAQs on the No Tax on Overtime provision under HR 1, which added a new tax deduction for qualified overtime compensation. The deduction allows individuals to deduct up to $12,500 of qualified overtime pay annually ($25,000 in the case of a joint return) but may be reduced if a taxpayer's modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers). Developed in coordination with the Department of Labor and Office of Personnel Management, the updated FAQs replace previous FAQs issued in January 2026 and provide more extensive guidance on overtime eligibility and exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, reporting qualified overtime compensation, and federal income tax withholdings from wages. The FAQs also include a guidance for employers on calculating qualified overtime compensation to be paid to an employee for purposes of the deduction. This includes instructions for alternative methods of computation are used to compute overtime, which may apply to employees of certain residential care facilities. Here is your weekly Workforce Weekly Recap
By Kierstin Reed August 13, 2026
COVID “Up to Date” Definition Will Not Change
By Kierstin Reed August 13, 2026
Life Safety Update
By Kierstin Reed August 13, 2026
Life Safety Update State Fire Marshal has provided a memo regarding Personal Electrical Devices in long term care settings under the preview of the Life Safety Code. This memo clarifies that residents will be able to use personal electronics (such as lamps, laptops and phone chargers) within six feet of the bed without being in violation of Section 10.4.2.2 of the Life Safety Code. These devices no longer require a three-prong or double insulated designation. Facilities must conduct an annual visual inspection and document that devices are in proper working order and are not in need of repair. An inspection must also be conducted when a resident moves in or moves to a new room within the facility. These devices can be plugged directly into the wall or into an approved power tap (60601-1 or 1363A). Extension cords and unapproved power strips should still be avoided. We appreciate the continued follow up on this concern and the willingness of the Fire Marshal to update the understanding of the use of personal electronics in long-term care settings.
By Kierstin Reed August 13, 2026
Join Our Advocacy Movement
By Kierstin Reed August 6, 2026
Proposed Rule Rolls Back Community Reinvestment Act Obligations. Of great concern to LeadingAge and others interested in expanding and preserving the nation’s supply of affordable housing, the Department of Treasury, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) posted a joint rulemaking on July 31, 2026, amending the regulations implementing the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) that could weaken investment in affordable housing and community development. The CRA was enacted in 1977 and requires federal banking regulators to encourage financial institutions to help meet the credit needs of the communities in which they do business, including in low and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods. In particular, a financial institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of its entire community is taken into account by federal regulators when evaluating the financial institution’s application for a deposit facility. Among the changes that the rule proposes for evaluating whether a financial institution is meeting its CRA requirements are: restricting the large bank service test to a bank’s “credit services” – i.e., lending – rather than deposit services; imposing a 15% cap on indirect costs that recipients of community development grants at large banks may incur; recalibrating asset thresholds for small, immediate, and large banks; and tailoring retail lending tests to focus only on a bank’s major product line(s). In particular, the recalibration of asset thresholds would likely reduce the number of banks incentivized to make loans and investments in affordable housing and community development, such as investing in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC). LeadingAge is concerned that this rule would further limit opportunities for affordable housing for older adults, and we will continue to work with our housing partners to coordinate a response in opposing this rule. While this rule has yet to be published in the Federal Register, there will be a 60 day comment period from the date of publication.
By Kierstin Reed August 6, 2026
Analysis: FY2027 Hospice Wage Index Final Rule
By Kierstin Reed August 6, 2026
Senators Introduce Older Adult Home Modification Tax Credit Bill
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