FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DATED INFORMATION
Contact: Sheila Strand, Director of Communication
National Association for Home Care & Hospice
Phone: 202-547-7424 scs@nahc.org
Washington, DC, November 3, 2003 – Helping Americans find the highest quality health care is always a good thing, said Val J. Halamandaris, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC). In this connection, Halamandaris said the federal government’s first efforts to produce a data-based checkpoint called Home Health Compare “appears to be a step in the right direction.”
“We can never say enough that the patient and his or her needs come first in home care,” Halamandaris said. “Creating a viable, valid way for average citizens to find the perfect home care agency for them is challenging. Home care is a complex mix of skilled, professional medical care and personal support. Determining the right combination of useful information will require ongoing input.”
Home Health Compare, released today at 11:30 a.m., was spearheaded by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy Thompson and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Tom Scully. The national program follows an eight-state pilot earlier this year.
More than 2.2 million Americans receive Medicare-reimbursed home health services. The demand for home-delivered health care is projected to grow exponentially with the advent of an aging population.
NAHC is the world’s largest trade association advocating for home care and hospice. The association, founded in 1982, encourages development and delivery of the highest quality medical, social and supportive services to the nation’s frail, disabled and aged. For more information, contact NAHC at 202-547-7424, or go to www.nahc.org
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