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For media inquiries, contact the Director of Media Relations, at 202-547-7424 or
pr@nahc.org. |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2011 |
For additional
information contact:
Megan Rose
Gordon C. James Public Relations
602-274-1988 / 602-690-0801
mrose@gcjpr.com |
Nurses rally on Capitol Hill to protect home health care
| WHAT: |
Home health nurses will gather in DC
to be the voice of the thousands of patients served by the home care community
across the US who would be directly affected by proposed cuts in Medicare/Medicaid.
These patients are so sick that they cannot leave home without assistance and
suffer from numerous complex medical issues. Home health agencies cannot tolerate
any further cuts and co-payments that, if implemented, would have adverse effects
on patients. The result would be Medicare having to pay for more expensive levels
of care, such as hospitals and nursing homes stays. |
| WHO: |
Nurses from 12 states will rally on Capitol Hill along with representatives of the
Home Healthcare Nurses Association, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice
and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. Nurses from
Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Michigan,
North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island will be in attendance,
which represents more than 50% of US healthcare expenditures. Representatives of
Congress from states listed above have also been invited.
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| VISUALS: |
Nurses will have photos of their homebound patients to give a visual representation
that those who will be affected by co-payments aren’t nameless or faceless.
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| WHEN: |
Wed, July 27, 2011
11:00 a.m. EDT |
| WHERE: |
2103 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. |
| WHY: |
Cost-effective home health and hospice services
save money in the long run and should be encouraged, not cut, as a way to reduce
the deficit. Home health and hospice already took disproportionate cuts
in the health care reform legislation and should not be cut again. Home health
co-pays would disproportionately impact poor and sick seniors, shift seniors
to more costly settings and increase Medicare and Medicaid costs. Co-pays were
repealed in 1972 and remain unpopular today.
Over the next few years, $12 billion in Medicare cuts to the industry
are already planned even though home care and hospice is more cost
effective, saving billions in Medicare expenditures. In 2009, the
average home care visit cost $135 per day versus the average hospital
visit which cost $1,800 a day. Preventive home health
care saves Medicare and Medicaid billions of dollars per year. |
| ABOUT: |
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 10 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 www.nahc.org. |
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