[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 33 (Thursday, March 1, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E297-E298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF SKILLED HOME HEALTH IN MEDICARE

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                            HON. TOM LATHAM

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2012

  Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Speaker, as we search for solutions to ensure that 
the Medicare system remains solvent for seniors and future 
beneficiaries, I believe it is vitally important to support cost-
effective benefits that allow seniors to remain healthy and 
independent. Many of the treatments that were once offered exclusively 
in a hospital or physician setting can now be safely, effectively, 
affordably and efficiently provided in patients' homes by skilled 
clinicians. Home health care offers an intermediate level of care for 
patients who have difficulty accessing outpatient care or who need 
intensive assistance with an acute or chronic health problem.
   Home health services are cost effective because they prevent costly 
hospitalizations, and serve as an alternative to expensive skilled 
nursing facilities. According to an October 2010 report in the Des 
Moines Register, seniors utilizing skilled home care cost taxpayers an 
average of $607 per month, compared to an average of $3,687 for seniors 
in nursing homes. Not only is home care less expensive, but studies 
also show that the vast majority of seniors prefer to live 
independently and remain in their home if possible.

[[Page E298]]

   A case study through the Veterans' Administration (VA) highlights 
the benefits of home healthcare. The VA has provided comprehensive 
primary care services to veterans in their homes since 1972 in an 
effort to keep patients in their homes and reduce inpatient hospital 
days. The program was specifically designed to target patients with 
complex chronic diseases through an interdisciplinary team of health 
professionals. This program showed a reduction in inpatient hospital 
days by 62 percent, and a reduction in nursing home bed days by 88 
percent. This translated into a reduction in the cost of care from 
$38,000 to $29,000 per patient per year for patients enrolled in the 
program (a 24 percent reduction).
   The Medicare program continues to increase in importance in my home 
state of Iowa, where our senior population is increasing dramatically. 
The percentage of Iowans age 65 and older is expected to grow from 14.8 
percent in 2009 to 22.4 percent by 2030, according to the Iowa 
Department on Aging. I am committed to preserving benefits for current 
recipients and those nearing retirement, while guaranteeing the 
program's solvency for future generations of Americans.
   Seniors throughout Iowa depend on Medicare for their health 
coverage, and we have to do everything we can to safeguard those 
benefits. As we examine solutions to address Medicare's solvency, there 
is strong evidence that home care is a cost-effective benefit that 
should remain accessible to seniors.

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