[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1586-E1587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN SUPPORT OF WORKERS AND THE SERVICES THEY PROVIDE TO MEDICARE 
                                PATIENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 20, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend America's home 
healthcare workers who provide services to millions of patients, 
including many Medicare beneficiaries, who are homebound and require 
skilled care. These skilled and dedicated workers are among the unsung 
heroes in the effort to contain the cost of healthcare without 
sacrificing the quality of service provided to patients. Today, there 
are more than 40 million seniors in the United States, 12 percent of 
the population. In 20 years, that number will increase to 70 million, 
or 20 percent of the population. More than 27 million of these 
individuals are over age 70, and more that 1 million are over the age 
of 80. Further, more than 43 million people in the United States, 19 
percent of the population, provide care for an elderly family member or 
friend.
  Mr. Speaker, many healthcare treatments that were once offered only 
in a hospital or a physician's office can now be safely, effectively, 
and efficiently provided in patients' homes by skilled clinicians. Home 
healthcare is generally less expensive, more convenient, and as 
effective as care provided in a hospital or skilled nursing facility. 
Home healthcare can serve as 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.
  Skilled home healthcare services funded under Medicare Part A and B 
are safe, effective, affordable, clinically advanced, and patient 
preferred.
  A case study conducted by the Veterans' Administration (VA) 
illustrates 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

[[Page E1587]]

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 California, where our senior population is increasing 
dramatically. The percentage of Californians age 6o and older is 
expected to grow from 6.4 percent in 2010 to 11.5 percent by 2030, 
according to the California Department of Aging. In my district, there 
are currently 63,053 Medicare recipients. I am committed to preserving 
benefits for current recipients and those nearing retirement, while 
guaranteeing the program's solvency for future generations of 
Americans.
  For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of 
Medicare's Skilled Home Healthcare Services act.

                          ____________________