I'm a home health professional concerned about the quality and access of home care for the elderly in our state, given that the number of residents age 65 and over is expected to increase much faster than the general population over the next 20 years. As this population expands and faces chronic health conditions requiring special care, President Obama's current proposed budget would cut $34 billion in Medicare home health payments over the next decade alone. Just recently, the House of Representatives announced draft legislation cutting $51 billion over the next decade. These reductions could serious affect the ability of our residents and their families to benefit from home care and could force many into costly institutions.
At the same time, federal officials want to improve care for older Americans and control rising Medicare costs. Home health is a solution. Advanced home health treatments are demonstrating their ability to keep people out of more costly hospitals for a year or more. A single day in a hospital costs Medicare more than $4,600, while a 60-day episode of home care is around $2,200, so it's easy to see why home health could save Medicare billions of dollars.
Our state residents and their families should contact their members of Congress, including Representative Ed Markey and Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, to protest these reductions and save home health.
Julie Conway
Wayland
