[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 5940]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCING HOME HEALTH CARE PLANNING IMPROVEMENT ACT

  (Ms. SCHWARTZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Seniors who see a nurse practitioner or physician's 
assistant as their primary care provider face unnecessary delays in 
receiving necessary home health services. Medicare recognizes that 
nurse practitioners and physician's assistants diagnose and care for 
patients, prescribe medications, and order nursing home services for 
seniors, all in accordance with State law.
  But even when State laws explicitly include ordering home health care 
within the scope of practice for nurse practitioners, as Pennsylvania 
does, Medicare still requires a physician's signature for referral and 
payment. That Medicare allows nurse practitioners and PA's to sign the 
forms to place a senior in a nursing home but not for less expensive 
home health care just doesn't make sense. This requirement leads to 
unnecessary and costly delays.
  I urge my colleagues to join with me to fix this problem and to 
ensure that seniors get the care that they need in appropriate and cost 
efficient settings by cosponsoring my bill, H.R. 4993, the Home Health 
Care Planning and Improvement Act, and make sure that seniors get the 
care they need in the right setting.

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