EXPANDING CARE IN THE HOME
Moving Health Home (MHH) is pleased to support the introduction of the bipartisan Expanding Care in the Home Act (ECHA) (H.R. 2853) in the House of Representatives. We applaud Representatives Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) for their leadership on this crucial legislation to remove barriers currently limiting patient access to care in the home, which is often the preferred site of care for patients, caregivers, and providers.
Bill text can be found here.
See a section-by-section here.
MHH Press Release
Rep. Smith (R-NE) Press Release
Rep. Dingell (D-MI) Press Release
The Expanding Care in the Home Act (H.R. 2853) would remove barriers currently limiting patient access to care in the home, which is often the preferred site of care for patients, caregivers, and providers. The Act would ensure home-based care is a viable option for patient care and scalable for providers. The Expanding Care in the Home Act encompasses needed policy changes across the in-home care continuum ranging from primary care to dialysis, as well as workforce investments to strengthen and support the delivery of home-based care. Taken together, the Expanding Care in the Home would significantly advance the goal to ensure the home is a clinical site of care for the future.
The United States lags behind comparable countries in home-based care options for patients. The pandemic has taught us that care in the home is preferred by many patients, with increasing demand for at-home options.
Besides the innate benefits of increased access to care, home-based models have demonstrated the ability to successfully reduce costs, improve quality and outcomes, maintain safety comparable to or better than facilities, and address disparities.
In-Home Primary Care
Allow primary care providers enrolled in Medicare Part B to elect to receive a monthly capitated payment as an alternative to FFS reimbursement to increase the feasibility of home-based models.
Home Infusion
Improve access to the fragmented Medicare Home Infusion Benefit by establishing Medicare Part B coverage of services and supplies associated with the delivery of home infusion.
Home Dialysis
Bolster access to home dialysis by providing Medicare reimbursement for staff assistance for home dialysis treatment.
In-Home Labs
Bolster access to home dialysis by providing Medicare reimbursement for staff assistance for home dialysis treatment.
Advancing Diagnostic Imaging in the Home
Permit the delivery and reimbursement of ultrasound imaging in the home for certain beneficiaries and require the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an evaluation of Medicare in-home reimbursable advanced diagnostic imaging.
Personal Care Services
Increase access to personal care services for Medicare beneficiaries that do not qualify for Medicaid by establishing a personal care benefit in the Medicare program for certain beneficiaries. If eligible, patients would be eligible for 12 hours per week of personal care services for up to 90 days per year.
Workforce Investments
Build up the home-based care workforce by 1) establishing grants to invest in the pipeline and career development of home-based care professionals; 2.) creating a nursing task force to develop standards for a home-based nursing board certification; and 3.) forming a council to study the role of emergency medical service providers in the triage, treatment, and transfer of patients in the home.