STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACTS: Barbara Woolley
NAHC
(202) 547-7424
Administration short sighted on co-pay recommendation
as a way to deficit reduction
WASHINGTON D.C. (Sept. 21, 2011) – The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has the highest respect for President Obama and appreciates his balanced approached to deficit reduction. However, we strongly oppose the Administration’s proposed home health copayment and believe deficit reduction should not come in the formof a “sick tax”on the nation’s poorest and sickest Medicare beneficiaries.
The original Medicare home health benefit included co-pays and they were removed because there was no evidencethat they saved money. In fact,they costthe government moreto collectthantheir imposition saved the Medicare program.
History has taught us thatif co-pays are instituted,the number ofchronically ill anddisabled persons who willbe forced to take the 'pauper's oath' and apply for helpfrom state Medicaid programs will againincrease dramatically. The impact of such cost-shiftingwill precipitate a national crisis as states struggle to carry the weight of caring for the78 million members of the Baby Boom generation who will require personal care assistanceor help withthe management of multiple chronic diseases.
Home care is not only the right way to save billions in Medicare expenditures; it is what the nation's seniors need to meet their increasing and complicated health care requirements. There is no greater value proposition in the health care system than home care, which helps save and extend lives as well as prevent and manage chronic disease while creating jobs and directly contributing to the long-term health of the economy.
About NAHC
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is a nonprofit organization that represents the nation’s 33,000 home care and hospice organizations. NAHC also advocates for the more than two million nurses, therapists, aides and other caregivers employed by such organizations to provide in-home services each year to some 12 million Americans who are infirm, chronically ill, disabled and dying. Along with its advocacy, NAHC is committed to excellence in every respect and provides information to help its members maintain the highest quality of care. To learn more about NAHC, visit
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