Megan Carr Martin, JD, is executive director of the Tennessee Home Care Association.
A few years ago, my mother-in-law collapsed while getting out of bed.
After several trips to the emergency room, she was diagnosed with a severe staph infection that eventually led to sepsis. She was hospitalized for several weeks.
The situation was scary, stressful, and complicated. My mother-in-law was the primary caregiver for my 90-year-old mother at the time, and she wanted to return home and resume her caregiving duties as soon as her symptoms subsided. In-home care gave my mother-in-law the option to recover from her ordeal at home, which was not only where she wanted to be, but where she needed to be to care for my mother.
I’ve seen other family members benefit from in-home care. My great-aunt recovered from knee surgery at home supported by her sister. During flu season, my grandmother recovered from hip surgery at home instead of in a rehab facility. In these situations, I realized that home is not only a good environment for recovery, but also the safest option for vulnerable patients.
Further cuts to benefits could lead to the abolition of services
Despite the many benefits of home health care, Medicare continues to make cuts to its home health program. This action will undoubtedly have a negative impact on access to home health care across the country, but rural states like Tennessee will be particularly vulnerable.
For many patients, recovering from an illness or injury is a long and difficult process that can often be better managed at home, where patients are most comfortable and protected from many diseases and infections that can jeopardize their recovery. Home care is also often the least expensive option.
But as home health reimbursement continues to be cut, it becomes increasingly difficult for hospitals to send patients home to recover and treat. Healthcare worker shortages and reduced capacity are already creating a gap between the demand for home health care and those who can provide it.
These challenges, plus further cuts, could mean some services are eliminated altogether, which is why the Tennessee Hospital Association also opposes cuts to Medicare home health payments.
Bipartisan bill expands home health program
The roughly 3% cuts made by Medicare last year were on top of billions of dollars in existing cuts, putting access to care at risk for 74,000 Medicare beneficiaries who rely on home health care across Tennessee. Nationwide, home health cuts are slated to total $25 billion over the next decade.
There is a serious shortage of home health care workers across the United States, and Tennessee is no different. Recent data shows that there will be 59,300 job openings for home health care workers by 2028. Continued cuts to Medicare’s home health program will only intensify this trend, leaving patients with no choice.
Fortunately, some lawmakers, including those in Tennessee’s congressional delegation, are taking action to fight attacks on Medicare’s home health program.
A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress (S. 2137/HR 5159) provides hope for home health patients, families and physicians. If passed, this bill would ensure there are no cuts to Medicare’s home health program until at least 2028. I urge all Tennessee lawmakers to cosponsor this bill.
Home health care is at a crossroads. The future of patient access to home care depends on this bill passing. Medicare patients in Tennessee, including you and your loved ones, have the right to age in their own home. Let’s make sure we all have the care we need to do just that.
Megan Carr Martin, JD, is executive director of the Tennessee Home Care Association.