We invite you to join with your colleagues as a member of NAHHCnet (National Association for Hospice and Home Care Network), our nationwide legislative grassroots electronic network. NAHHCnet connects you to Capitol Hill while expanding the power of home care and hospice. NAHHCnet members receive Action Alerts advising them about pressing national legislative action. Those NAHC members who already have long-standing relationships with their Members of Congress, as well as those who want to develop relationships with their Members, are encouraged to serve as crucial links in the NAHC legislative program.

To sign up for NAHHCnet, please send an email to nahhcnet@nahc.org.

Together, we shall prevail. Thank you for joining us in this struggle,

Key Legislative Issues for 2005: Lobbying Materials

1. Preserve the Full Market BasketUpdate for Medicare Home Health. ~ PDF File (2/2005)
2. Oppose Copayments for Medicare Home Health Services. ~ PDF File (2/2005)
3. Preserve Access to Rural Home Health Services. ~ PDF File (2/2005)
4. Support Increased Medicaid Funding for Home Care. ~ PDF File (8/2005)

Key Legislative Issues for 2004: Lobbying Materials

1. National Association For Home Care & Hospice: Key Legislation Issues For Today and Tomorrow (2004). ~ PDF File
2. The Medicare Home Health Benefit: Utilization and Outlays Have Dropped Dramatically. ~ PDF File
3. Profit Margins Projected to Continue Downward Spiral. ~ PDF File
4. Preserve The Full Market Basket Update For Medicare Home Health. ~ PDF File
5. Maintain the Add-on for Home Health Services in Rural Areas. ~ PDF File
6. Support An Increase in the Federal Medicaid Match, Oppose Medicaid Cuts, and Reject Caps on Federal Medicaid Payments. ~ PDF File
7. Enact Demonstrations to Promote Modernization of the Medicare Home Health Benefit. ~ PDF File

Useful Links for Grassroots Activities

• Contact information for your member of Congress:
  
     Select State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Dist of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virgin Islands Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
• Communications Network to Congress
• Who's Who in Home Care & Hospice Policy (restricted to NAHC members only)
• Standard links to Government Sites

Action Alerts

• 9/2003 ~ Collins/Reed/Bond/Feingold Sign-on Letter to Senate Medicare Conferees
• 8/2003 ~ August Recess Grassroots Guide
• 7/2003 ~ NO HOME HEALTH COPAYS Campaign—Join the fight against Home Health Copays and Other Home Health Cuts.
• 7/2003 ~ Support Provisions in Senate Version of Medicare Reform; Reject Home Health Copays and Other Home Health Cuts Contained in House Version
• 5/2003 ~ Operation Home Care Independence: Photo Postcard Campaign
• 4/16/2003 ~ Sign-on Letter Opposing HME Competitve Bidding
• 4/14/2003 ~ Collins/Reed/Bond/Feingold Sign-on Letter Requesting Home Health Relief
• 4/2003 ~ 2003 Virtual Lobby Day materials
  
  Helpful Information To Be Used To Lobby Members of Congress
  (Files are in PDF format)
  
  
  1. Background information on 2003 home health issues and call to action
  2. Preserve the full market basket update for Medicare home health — UPDATED 6/11/03
  3. Maintain the 10 percent add-on for home health services in rural areas — UPDATED 6/11/03
  4. Oppose copayments and other cost sharing for Medicare home health services — UPDATED 6/11/03
  5. Limit collection of OASIS data to Medicare patients
  6. Reject competitive bidding for home medical equipment
  7. Allow hospices to contract for highly skilled clinical services and with other hospices for core services — UPDATED 6/11/03
  8. Require hospital discharge planners to discuss hospice option
  
  
• 9/2002 ~ 2002 Virtual Lobby Day materials (107th Congress, 2nd Session)
  
  Helpful Information To Be Used To Lobby Members of Congress
  
  
  1. Listing of justifications for passing home care relief legislation including, elimination of the 15 percent, extending the 10 percent rural add-on; restoring the full-market basket update; limiting OASIS data collection to Medicare patients; opposing co-payments; opposing home medical equipment competitive bidding; and easing regulatory burdens.
  2. White Paper: 'Seeking Stability -- The Case For Elimination of the 15 Percent'
  3. BBA Budget Cuts: A Comparative Analysis of Impact on Medicare Providers
  4. Congressional Budget Office: Home Health Budget Analysis -- Home Health Reductions Exceed $174 Billion Between FY98 and FY2007.
     
     
• 3/18/2002 ~ Senate Budget Committee to Mark Up Resolution This Week
• 3/12/2002 ~ Sign-on Letter Urges Continuation of 10 Percent Rural Add-On
• 3/5/2002 ~ Home Care Providers Urged to Contact House Budget Committee Members
• 2/11/2002 ~ House Letter to the Budget Committee Urging Elimination of the 15 Percent Cut
• 2/6/2002 ~ Sign-on Letter to the Budget Committee Urging Elimination of the 15 Percent Cut
• Crisis in Home Care Report

Return to the HOMECARE Online Center!

We love receiving comments and suggestions for improvement!
Send them to webmaster@nahc.org

Page last updated: 6/14/2004