Easing Medicare's Pain

Health care reform discussions will generate passion and headlines during this election season and into the new Congress next year. This presents another opportunity for our industry to emphasize the value and cost-effectiveness of home care in the health care system. There will be many moments to mention the vital, cost-effective role of home care during candidates' debates and town hall meetings and on the opinion pages of local newspapers and Internet blogs.

The Medicare trustees claim in their most recent report that Medicare's main source of funding, the Health Insurance Trust Fund, will be exhausted by 2019. The trustees recommend solutions to the coming funding crisis must include greater efficiencies and cost-containment measures.

Home care should be at the top of the list of steps to move Medicare toward greater efficiencies and cost containment.

American voters agree that home care is one of the solutions to the rising cost of health care. In a Harris Interactive telephone survey of 1,000 American adults conducted in December of 2007, three-quarters of voters said home care is part of the solution to the problem of rapidly increasing Medicare spending.

Furthermore, an overwhelming majority (78 percent) of American voters say they would vote for congressional candidates who would strengthen Medicare coverage for power wheelchairs, oxygen devices, hospital beds and other durable medical equipment and services used in the home.

Home care fits easily into both Democratic and Republican plans for reform. The Democrats' health care platform states the party is “united around a commitment to provide every American access to affordable, comprehensive health care.” They advocate affordable health insurance through new group options and by expanding government programs like Medicaid. Strengthening cost-effective home care coverage is consistent with that direction.

During the Republican ABC-Facebook debate earlier this year, presidential candidate John McCain advocated for expanded home care, saying, “We need incentives for home health care as opposed to long-term care. In my state of Arizona, we adopted a proposal which incentivizes health care providers to keep people in home health care settings. It's dramatically less expensive than long-term care.”