Over the past few years, Medicare payments to home health care providers have decreased while the cost of providing this valuable health care option have increased, thus jeopardizing the availability of home health to our nation's seniors. Senator Collins has been working to increase Medicare payments to home health care providers as well as prevent future cuts.
"Home health care is an important health care option that should be available to all seniors, regardless of where they live," said Senator Collins.
During a speech on the Senate floor, Senator Collins said, "The home health care benefit has been cut far more deeply and abruptly than any other benefit in the history of the Medicare program," She said she was pleased that this Medicare legislation includes her provision to increase Medicare payments to home health care agencies and rural providers, in particular.
Earlier this month, 54 Senators joined Senator Collins in sending a letter to leaders of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the Medicare program, asking that they avoid any further cuts that would harm home health care.
Specifically, Senator Collins' home health care proposal extends to October 1, 2005 a provision in current law that requires Medicare to pay additional reimbursement fees to rural home health care agencies since it is generally more expensive to provide home health care in rural areas. Her provision would also reinstate an increase to all home health care providers that expired on April 1, 2003.
The bipartisan Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act modernized Medicare and would provide a prescription drug benefit to all seniors. The Senate is expected to pass the legislation before July 4.