Action Alert

SUPPORT ALL HOME HEALTH PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN THE SENATE BILL—S.1

REJECT HOME HEALTH COPAYS AND OTHER HOME CARE CUTS CONTAINED IN THE HOUSE BILL—H.R. 1

Many thanks to all those who have called faxed, written or e-mailed their Congressman or Senators during the past few weeks. You work IS making a difference and our message IS beginning to be heard. As Congress moves toward reconciling the House and Senate Medicare bills (H.R. 1, S. 1), during the conference committee, we are continuing to urge all home health and hospice providers, caregivers, patients and patient families to lobby in support of the home care provisions that are contained within the Senate Bill, S. 1, the "Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003."

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) strongly supports the Medicare reform bill (S. 1) as passed by the Senate. The Senate bill encompasses all of NAHC's legislative priorities including: no copayments; no cuts in market basket; a 10% rural add-on for two years; suspension of OASIS data collection for non-Medicare and non-Medicaid patients, and meaningful regulatory reform. By contrast, the House legislation contains a copayment on Medicare home health beneficiaries; cuts the home health market basket by 0.4%; and only provides for a 5% rural add-on.

As members of Congress make public appearances and hold office hours or town hall meetings over the July Fourth recess (June 30-July 7), NAHC is again asking all home health and hospice providers to mobilize and continue to lobby their Senators and congressional Representatives with the following message:

• SUPPORT ALL HOME HEALTH PROVISIONS CONTAINED IN SENATE BILL -- S.1
  
  
• REJECT HOME HEALTH COPAYS AND OTHER HOME CARE CUTS CONTAINED IN HOUSE BILL-- H.R. 1

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Call your Member of Congress‚ district office to ascertain what public appearances they will be making over the July 4th recess. Attend any town hall meetings and ask your Member of Congress to support the home care provisions in S.1., and reject home health copays and other home care cuts in H.R. 1.
   
   
2. Set up an appointment to visit with your member during the forthcoming district work period.
   
   
3. Make contact with your Representative or Senator at a public event, be it a parade, picnic, or local fireworks display.
   
   
4. Organize senior groups, disability advocates, or others that may be adversely affected by a copayment or home health cuts. Have these groups call and write their Members of Congress in support of home health care. Or, better yet, bring representatives of these groups with you when you see your Member of Congress.
   
   
5. Take a Member of Congress on a home health visit with you or your agency staff member.

If contacting a Member of the Senate, be sure to thank them for not including copays in their package, for reinstating the rural add-on, for maintaining a full market basket update, and for suspending collection of OASIS data on non-Medicare and non-Medicaid patients.

If meeting with a Member of the House, urge them to contact the House leadership and the House Medicare conferees and urge them to reject copays and adopt the provisions in the Senate bill that pertain to home health.

We must continue to raise the volume regarding our issues and ask our lawmakers to resist implementing a copayment or any future reductions in home health payments as part of any Medicare reform effort. Talking points, background information, and congressional contact information are availablein the "No CoPay" section of this website.

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