ADVISORY: Wyden to Speak at Independence At Home Event Thursday Morning
Expansion of Home Care Program Could Save billions in Medicare Costs by Improving Health Outcomes for Chronic Patients
Washington, D.C. – With a proven track record of generating better health outcomes at much lower costs, Independence at Home has been called the future of Medicare and proof that health savings can be generated, not by cutting benefits but by coordinating care and keeping seniors healthy. The Independence at Home Act demonstration project – included in the Affordable Care Act – is scheduled to begin in 2012. To mark the launch of the program and to discuss the cost and health benefits of offering home care to patients, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will join the American Academy of Home Care Physicians at their inaugural conference being held Thursday, September 22, at 9 am in the Capitol Visitors Center SVC 209-08
Who: U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), American Academy of Home Care Physicians
Where: Capitol Visitors Center, SVC 209-08
When: Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 9 am EDT
With the top 25 percent of Medicare beneficiaries accounting for more than 85 percent of total costs, better care for the chronically ill will save a great deal of money and improve outcomes for chronically ill patients. Wyden co-authored the Independence at Home legislation with Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and worked to have it included in the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress last year. The demonstration project allows a small group of Medicare beneficiaries to receive individualized, at-home care of their chronic conditions. A similar project run by the Veterans Affairs department has been proven to reduce hospital stays by 62 percent, nursing home days by 88 percent and costs by 24 percent.
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