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Home Care Association of Florida
THANK FLORIDA'S SENATORS FOR SUPPORTING HOME CARE
This month, Florida Senators Bill Nelson (D) and Marco Rubio (R) came together at the request of the home care industry and asked Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to extend the comment period for the companionship services exemption proposed rule, which was set to expire on Feb. 27th. On Feb. 21st, the DOL announced a 14-day extension of the comment period to give stakeholders more time to gather substantive data to submit comments detailing the proposal's impact on the home care industry.
When lawmakers stand up for our industry, it's important that we show them that the home care industry appreciates their efforts and that we have their backs, too! Sign your name below to show your appreciation, and your name will be passed on to Senators Nelson and Rubio.
ASK CONGRESS TO MAINTAIN THE COMPANIONSHIP SERVICES EXEMPTION FOR HOME CARE
Ask the Florida congressional delegation to protect access to home care by opposing proposals that would eliminate the companionship services exemption.
Two bills introduced in Congress – the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act (H.R. 3859) in the House of Representatives and the Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act (S. 1680) in the Senate – seek to protect and preserve access for Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas to health care providers under the Medicare program.
Both the House and Senate bills would increase the home health rural add on payment from 3 percent to 5 percent for calendar year 2012, and would allow nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and physicians' assistants to certify home health plans of care in both rural and urban areas.
OPPOSE HOME CARE CUTS TO FUND PHYSICIAN PAYMENT FIX
Physicians’ reimbursement will be reduced 27% on March 1 unless Congress finds alternative ways to offset the cuts, and DC insiders say home care providers are on the chopping block.
SUPPORT THE FOSTERING INDEPENDENCE THROUGH TECHNOLOGY ACT
The Fostering Independence Through Technology (FITT) Act (S. 501) seeks to expand the use of telehealth and remote monitoring in Medicare by creating a pilot program that would provide incentives for home health agencies to use home monitoring and communications technologies.
SUPPORT THE HOME HEALTH CARE PLANNING IMPROVEMENT ACT
Ask Senators Nelson and Rubio and your U.S. representative to co-sponsor the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (S. 227, H.R. 2267), which would allow Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Nurse Midwives and Physician Assistants to sign Medicare home health plans of care.
According to a study by Dobson DaVanzo & Associates, a health policy consulting firm, this Act could save Medicare $6.3 million in 2011 and $273.1 million by 2020.
SUPPORT THE HOME HEALTH CARE ACCESS PROTECTION ACT
Ensure that CMS preserves adequate and appropriate payment for Medicare home health services and does not impose unreasonable regulatory burdens that would restrict access to care.
Ensure that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) preserves adequate and appropriate payment for Medicare home health services and does not impose unreasonable regulatory burdens that would restrict access to care.
1) Urge Members of Congress to co-sponsor the Home Health Care Access Protection Act.
Congressmen Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) are again asking their colleagues in the House of Representatives to join the Congressional Home Health Caucus. NAHC urges all home care advocates to reach out to their representatives and remind them to join the caucus today.
Contact your Senators and encourage them to co-sponsor S. 501, the Fostering Independence Through Technology (FITT) Act of 2011 which would expand the use of telehealth under Medicare by offering incentives to home health agencies who demonstrate the use of remote monitoring and communication technologies that serve rural and underserved urban communities.
Ask your Senators and Representative to co-sponsor the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act, which would allow Nurse Practitioners, Advanced Practice Nurses, and Physician Assistants to sign Medicare home health care plans.
OPPOSE PROPOSALS TO CUT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR MEDICAID.
NAHC urges home care and hospice advocates to ask their Members of Congress to protect access to home care and hospice for low income Medicaid beneficiaries by opposing proposals that would reduce federal Medicaid funding.
NAHC urges home care advocates to ask Congress to protect access to home care by supporting proposals that would preserve the companionship services exemption.
1) Urge your representative to cosponsor H.R.3066, the Companionship Exemption Protection Act
