New federal legislation could help South Carolina Medicare recipients heal at home
Research shows that American seniors overwhelmingly want to stay in place as they age, especially as they navigate the risks of the ongoing pandemic.
They want to remain in the safety, security, and comfort of their homes alongside loved ones. And, when seniors have to be hospitalized for an acute illness or injury, they far and away want to return home to heal.
While there is a wealth of data to back up this broad preference, older Americans on Medicare face a frustrating lack of care options to make the home setting a viable option for their health care. That is because outdated Medicare policy limits care services for seniors after hospitalization.
As the leader of the South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association, I have heard from patients and providers across the state that they want and need increased access to safe, cost-effective home health care.
South Carolina is home to nearly 65,000 Medicare home health beneficiaries – all of whom currently have limited access to extended support services due to the constraints of the current benefit.
Under the current Medicare home health benefit, there are gaps in the services beneficiaries can receive once they return home from the hospital. Because of these gaps, many seniors who would prefer home health have little choice but to enter a skilled nursing facility.
Further, more than 91% of home health patients in South Carolina have three or more chronic conditions, meaning these patients are more susceptible to contracting COVID-19 or other infectious diseases in nursing facilities.
While some may prefer nursing home care, patients should have the option to safely recover at home.
The Choose Home Care Act of 2021 is the solution our state’s seniors need. The bill would act as a supplement to the existing Medicare home health benefit by offering extended home-based care services for up to an additional 30 days following hospitalization. Eligible patients would have access to expanded services including transportation, meals, home modifications, remote patient monitoring, tele-health services, and personal care.
These added benefits will help seniors with activities of daily living while they recover from a serious injury or illness. Choose Home would also aid families, caregivers, and loved ones by offering training and support, helping them become better caretakers.
Not only does Choose Home offer safe and effective care, but it would also generate considerable savings to the Medicare program. If enacted, the Choose Home program could generate up to $222 million in Medicare savings per year, amounting to up to $4.8 billion over the course of 10 years. Additionally, about 26,000 jobs could be created by the home health industry in South Carolina alone, so the expansion of home health offerings could help to support more local health care jobs.
Unlike most things in Washington, this is not a partisan issue. In fact, a significant majority of Republicans and Democrats have shown their support for the Choose Home Care Act. Plus, 94% of Medicare beneficiaries support the legislation.
I thank Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Jeff Duncan for their leadership in co-sponsoring this bill, and as we enter a new year, I urge the rest of the rest of the South Carolina congressional delegation to join them.
Tim Rogers is President and CEO of the South Carolina Home Care & Hospice Association in Columbia, South Carolina.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 5:00 PM with the headline "New federal legislation could help South Carolina Medicare recipients heal at home."