2011 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FOR HOME CARE AND HOSPICE

• Summary

SECURE THE STRATEGIC ROLE CONGRESS INTENDS FOR HOME CARE AND HOSPICE IN ADDRESSING THE NATIONS ACUTE, CHRONIC AND LONG TERM CARE NEEDS

• Ensure Home Care and Hospice Participation in Transitions in Care and Other Health Care Delivery Reforms
• Allow NPs and Pas to Sign Home Health Plans of Care
• Recognize Telehomcare Interactions as Bona Fide Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Enact a Comprehensive Home and Community-Based Long Term Care Program for All Age Groups

ENSURE APPROPRIATE AND ADEQUATE REIMBURSEMENT FOR AND ACCESS TO MEDICARE HOME HEALTH SERVICES

• Oppose Cost Sharing for Medicare Home Health Services
• Block CMS Regulatory "Case Mix Creep" Cuts and Require a New Process For Calculating Case Mix Adjustment 201106
• Establish Reasonable Standards for Rebasing Medicare Home Health Services Payment Rates
• Repeal or Reform Medicare Home Health Face-to-Face Encounter Requirement
• Ensure Full Market Basket Updates to Medicare Home Health
• Ensure Medicare Advantage and Fee-for-Service Enrollees Receive Identical Home Health Benefits

ENSURE APPROPRIATE AND ADEQUATE REIMBURSEMENT FOR AND ACCESS TO HOSPICE SERVICES

• Revise Requirements for Hospice Face-to-Face Requirement
• Preserve the Full Market Basket Update for the Medicare Hospice Benfit
• Reject Additional Beneficiary Copayments for Medicare Hospice Services
• Ensure Access to Hopsice Care for Rural Patients
• Monitor Payment Revisions to Medicare Hospice Benfit

PROTECT AND EXPAND ACESS TO HOME AND COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID

• Establish Medicaid Home Care as a Mandatory Benefit and Support Rebalancing of Long Term Care Expenditures in Medicaid Programs in Favor of Home Care
• Mandate Hopsice Coverage Under Mediciad
• Ensure Appropriate Medicaid Rates for Home Care and Hospice
• Increase Federal Medicaid Payments to States

PROTECT ACCESS TO HOME CARE AND HOSPICE SERVICES INCLUDING FOR CARE PAID DIRECTLY BY INDIVIDUALS

• Modify Employer Responsibilities in Health Reform to Address Home Care Specific Needs
• Oppose Changes to the Companionship Services Exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act