Homecare Providers Urge Congress to Support HR 3559 and Preserve the Inhalation Drug Therapy Dispensing Fee, USA

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 21 Aug 2005 - 21:00 PDT

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Homecare providers throughout the US have been meeting with or contacting Members of Congress during August to urge them to support homecare priorities that will preserve access to homecare for the millions of Americans who depend on it.

Providers have been asking Members of the House to cosponsor H.R. 3559, the Hobson-Tanner bill to remedy the restrictive contracting provisions of the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA). AAHomecare and homecare providers believe the "competitive acquisition" provisions of MMA, as currently written, will reduce competition, harm patient access to homecare, and potentially put thousands of small providers out of business. H.R. 3559 contains protections for Medicare patients as well as for small businesses. While many Representatives have agreed to sign on, providers will need to follow up in September when Members return to Washington to make sure they add their names to the cosponsor list.

AAHomecare members have been also been urging Members of the House and Senate to make sure that the dispensing fee for home inhalation drug therapy is not reduced in the 2006 Medicare physician fee schedule since the therapy is already under-reimbursed, according to the benchmark 2004 Muse and Associates study. Details and talking points are listed under the Advocacy Priorities heading on the front page at http://www.aahomecare.org.

More broadly, the homecare community is reminding members of Congress and the public about the value of homecare. A recent survey of medical literature shows that homecare is not only preferred by patients but it is also cost-effective and clinically proven. See a summary of some of those studies below and full details on AAHomecare's website.

Michael Reinemer, VP, Communications
American Association for Homecare
625 Slaters Lane, Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314-1171
USA
703-535-1881
http://www.aahomecare.org

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