On June 30, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the Calendar Year (CY) 2026 Home Health Prospective Payment System (HH PPS) Proposed Rule (CMS–1828–P). The National Alliance for Care at Home (the Alliance) issued a statement in response. See the Alliance’s high-level summary. The Alliance conducted a webinar on July 7. The proposed rule and its wage index tables can be found here. This proposed rule includes a devastating 9% cut to the home health 30-day payment rate— with total payments estimated to decrease by $1.13 billion in 2026. This unprecedented reduction—the largest single year cut in recent memory—would have ripple effects across the country, jeopardizing access to essential care delivered in the home. Providers are already being forced to cut staff and reduce service areas. Patients in rural and underserved communities are at risk of losing access to care altogether. CMS is seeking public comments on this proposed rule by August 29, 2025. Given this payment cut will profoundly impact patient access to home health services, it is critical that we make our voices heard. This comment primer has been prepared to help providers, clinicians, and other interested parties submit effective comments to CMS. It highlights the key comment themes, provides talking points, and suggests question and comment prompts to facilitate meaningful and impactful feedback. Our goal is to support a robust, unified response from the home health community and ensure CMS receives robust input that reflects the real-world impacts of the proposed rule on home health access. Importantly, submitting a comment is just one way to make your voice heard. The Alliance is implementing a nationwide grassroots campaign to amplify the collective voice of our membership. Through coordinated advocacy, we can show CMS and Congress the true impact of these proposed cuts and protect home health access for the millions of patients and families who depend on this important benefit. If you have any questions about the proposed rule, how to submit a comment, or need additional guidance, please reach out to our team at regulatory@allianceforcareathome.org. For questions about our grassroots efforts, reach out to a member of our public affairs team at grassrootsreplies@allianceforcareathome.org.