SC Nebraska News

Washington, D.C. –On April 25, Reps. Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize Medicare reimbursement and increase patient access for home-based health services.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Improve the feasibility for primary care doctors to deliver home-based care, bringing house calls back to Medicare beneficiaries. 
• Create a personal care services benefit in Medicare to fill the gap for beneficiaries unable to afford to pay out of pocket yet do not qualify for home care services by Medicaid.
• Bolster the accessibility and affordability of home dialysis for kidney patients.
• Increase access to preventative screening by allowing beneficiaries to receive in-home lab testing.
• Fix outdated policies to better enable the delivery of advanced diagnostic imaging in the home.
• Expand access to home infusion services by addressing fragmentation and affordability. 
• Build up the next generation of the home-based care workforce, including physicians, nurses, and emergency medical service providers.

The members released the following statements:

“As we identify opportunities to modernize the care seniors can access, we must consider the convenience and comfort home care offers them,” said Rep. Smith. “The Expanding Care in the Home Act is a commonsense measure to ensure Medicare can process claims for in-home care services, and I’m proud to lead introduction of this important bill.”

“We know people often prefer to receive care in the comfort and security of their own homes, and the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of expanding access to health care beyond traditional doctor’s office or hospital settings,” said Rep. Dingell. “I’m proud to introduce this legislation which will help remove barriers to care and increase options for patients to receive critical care in the setting of their choice.”

Original source can be found here.