While you've read and heard a great deal about the healthcare reform currently being discussed in Washington, have you taken the time to educate yourself about how this reform will impact you, personally? Here at the VNA, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the proposed reform to determine its potential impact on our organization’s ability to provide home health and hospice care to our friends and neighbors.
As of this writing, both the U.S. House and Senate are working on their own individual versions of reform legislation, which include significant cuts to Medicare reimbursement for both home health and hospice care, decreases in payment to rural hospice providers, and bundling of hospital and post-acute care payments. The end result of the proposed legislation is simple...significant reductions to Medicare reimbursement for both home health and hospice care providers during the next year, as well as continuing cuts in the future.
The situation unfolding is especially troubling for a relatively small, not-for-profit organization like ours, which relies extensively on Medicare reimbursement to provide home health and hospice care for our community. During our 2008 fiscal year, 71% of our agency's revenue came from Medicare home health and hospice reimbursement.
What would this mean in terms of dollars and cents for our organization? Simply put, we would have to provide patients with our current high-quality care, while receiving far less reimbursement—approximately $850,000 less, annually—for doing so. What would this mean to our patients? Unfortunately, more limited access to home health and hospice care for the most vulnerable members of our community would be the likely result.
Fortunately, we have a key resource to help us in our fight to protect home health and hospice care—you, our dedicated supporters. How can you help? If you, or a loved one, have ever received the benefit of home health or hospice care, please take the time to contact your representatives in Congress. Ask them to protect the Medicare home health and hospice benefits for you, your loved ones, and your friends and neighbors in the community.
You can do so quickly and easily, and learn more about details of the pending reform, by visiting the websites below:
- Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA): VNAA is the national association of nonprofit Visiting Nurse Agencies (VNAs) and home healthcare and hospice providers who care for and treat approximately 4 million patients annually.
- National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC): NAHC is the nation's largest trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, home care aide organizations, and medical equipment suppliers.
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO): NHPCO is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end-of-life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.
- WeCanSaveHomeHealth.org: Providers and supporters of home health care can sign this petition asking their representatives in Congress to save the home health community.
