Vice President Kamala Harris has recently announced a proposal to increase Medicare home health services as part of the administration’s effort to improve care for seniors. The initiative responds to the increasing requirements of an aging population by helping more seniors receive appropriate care in their own homes. With this in mind, the proposal underscores the desire for their healthcare reform — simple, affordable, and good enough for all.
Why Home Health Services Are Essential
Home health services are in growing demand as more than 10,000 Americans turn 65 each day. Most of these seniors would rather be cared for at home than in institutional settings because it helps to preserve their independence and enhances their quality of life. Yet existing Medicare rules frequently restrict access to the very services that an individual with dementia needs most to thrive at home.
Harris’s plan would broaden home health coverage under Medicare, which she said would be especially important for seniors in need of care. In addition to medical care, this can greatly improve the quality of life for many older adults as they help with activities from…
Key Features of the Proposal
The proposal would expand coverage for home health services under Medicare. That means not only skilled nursing care but physical therapy near me occupational therapy and even Telehealth for seniors.
More Money:Harris says get it done with more money from the federal government. It would direct these funds to home health agencies that choose to hire a higher number of more capable staff because they could offer a broader array of services.
Recognizes the Vital Role of Family Caregivers: Includes provisions to support and train family caregivers. The project is designed to help lift the weight of responsibility of parents, so they can get their children and youth with mental health quotes needs the care they need.
Concentrate on rural areas: Thousands of senior citizens live in these places and get into trouble while travelling to the hospital. In these areas, the proposal underscores the importance of increasing access to larger coverage options in the home health sector, so that no senior remains without the care they need.
Consequences for Seniors And Healthcare Systems
This potential change would make a huge difference to the everyday lives of millions of seniors if Medicare home health services were expanded. The change — to be implemented in the 2020 program year for Medicare home healthcare services, which affects an estimated $2.4 billion across thousands of post-acute-care providers annually— is designed to increase access to in-home care — and thereby improve healthcare outcomes as well as lower hospital recidivism rates. In addition, it could generate substantial cost savings on the healthcare and social care systems by decreasing demand for more costly institutional care.
In addition, the project is in line with the overall aim of health reform to improve preventative care and early intervention. As a result of the home health care provided, seniors will receive any necessary prompt care needed to treat immediate health issues they may encounter that could later become more complicated.
Challenges Ahead
Harris’s plan, while a big improvement, still faces some challenges. Expanding Medicare home health services will need bipartisan backing for Congress to pass the legislation, and that can be tough given the current political environment examples of public policy issues. But they also worry that a home health workforce is not going to be supplied in sufficient numbers and, arguably more importantly, educated to address the incoming flood of demand for services.
This initiative will only work if we can make sure home health agencies can attract and keep skilled professionals. Home health needs to be a backstop, and that will require investing in training and support for our healthcare workforce.
The proposal by Vice President Kamala Harris to expand Medicare home health services is a significant turning point in the ever-present conversation around healthcare reform. Elevating the needs of seniors and calling for stronger home health care services, this initiative could change senior care in this country.
As the proposal progresses through the legislative pipeline, it will be critical that stakeholders — from healthcare providers to family caregivers — get in on the dialogue. But by teamwork we can work to help our aged population, ensuring they get the medical care they deserve, which will in turn go a great way in improving health outcomes and quality of life among seniors throughout this country.
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