AVON, Ohio — As Ohio welcomes two new U.S. senators next year, and faces a rapidly changing political landscape, The Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice joins fellow home health care advocates across the nation to issue a bipartisan appeal to our elected officials and representatives in Washington: Protect the health and dignity of our aging population, and ensure Ohio’s seniors and the nation’s most vulnerable citizens receive the care they need.
Ohioans enrolled in Medicare Advantage who miss out on prescribed home health care are 42% more likely to die within 30 days of hospitalization compared to those who receive prescribed care, studies show. This heartbreaking statistic underscores the life-or-death importance of accessible home health care and the need to raise awareness for adjusting Medicare Advantage policies to match standard Medicare coverage levels.
As Dr. Steven Landers, CEO of the National Alliance for Care at Home, poignantly stated, “If a drug or vaccine had this kind of mortality trend, restricting access would be considered immoral.” We must apply the same standard to home health care.
There is an urgent need for Congress to act in 2025:
· Reverse Medicare home health payment cuts: Planned 2025 cuts threaten to destabilize an already fragile system, reducing reimbursement by nearly 2%, which would result in an estimated loss of more than $12 million in Ohio alone, and over $375 million nationally. Such reductions compromise the ability to meet the needs of the elderly and homebound, whose lives depend on accessible, skilled home health care. Congress must also ensure that Medicare reimbursements are adjusted to account for rising healthcare labor costs, which have surged over the past five years.
· Increase Medicare Advantage reimbursement rates: Medicare Advantage must be required to reimburse at parity with traditional Medicare for home health care services to prevent seniors from facing gaps in coverage. Currently, Medicare Advantage covers only about 50% of the Medicare home health care rate.
· Expand training and workforce initiatives: By integrating home-care-focused training in nursing programs, we can better equip the workforce to deliver the care Ohio needs.
· Simplify access and reduce administrative burden: Lawmakers must work to reduce red tape that delays or denies home health services for seniors, especially those with complex, chronic conditions.
· Monitor and publicize impact data: Congress should mandate transparency from Medicare Advantage programs to make the impact of service denials and delays more widely known, pushing for reforms where necessary.
The reality is that too many Ohioans are already being denied essential home health care. It is alarming that many beneficiaries — especially those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans — are missing out on prescribed home health services. We need to correct this, not exacerbate it.
Lisa Von Lehmden is executive director of the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice, a nonprofit association that represents the interests of health-care-at-home providers in Ohio.Courtesy of Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice
Let us make 2025 the year that Ohio’s new U.S. senators and the U.S. Congress rally behind our seniors and safeguard the dignity, health, and security of those who have built our communities.
We hope that you join us to call for protecting access to high-quality, accessible, and compassionate care that meets rising demand, and protects Ohio’s seniors.
Now, more than ever, it is time to show that we care.
Lisa Von Lehmden is executive director of the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice, a nonprofit association that represents the interests of health-care-at-home providers in Ohio.
Have something to say about this topic?
* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.
* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at [email protected]
link