Home Health Leaders Applaud Passage of IMPACT Act of 2014

New legislation paves the way for seniors' access to high-quality, cost-effective post-acute care

News provided by

Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare

Sep 19, 2014, 03:21 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare- a leading coalition of home health providers dedicated to improving the integrity, quality, and efficiency of home healthcare for our nation's seniors- today applauded Congress for its unanimous passage of the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014 (HR 4994).

The IMPACT Act of 2014, a bipartisan bill sponsored by the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees, provides for the submission by all types of post-acute care providers – including Home Health Agencies, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Long-Term Care Hospitals and Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities – of standardized data on their services, allowing for comparison of payments and patient outcomes across all types of post-acute care settings.

In addition to creating a standardized assessment tool, the IMPACT Act requires the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) provide Congress with new models for post-acute care payments including bundled and site neutral payments.

"We commend the House and Senate for supporting such important legislation that will help ensure our nation's seniors continue to receive high quality, cost-avoiding post-acute care," stated Eric Berger, CEO of the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare. "Consistent and comparable data collection on patient assessment and outcomes is key to this outcome and, along with patient-centered post-acute care bundling, holds great promise in reducing costs and improving outcomes for the sustainable preservation of the Medicare program."

The Partnership is dedicated to advancing policy solutions that improve the quality of care and life for the millions of homebound seniors who rely on skilled home healthcare services, including the Bundling and Coordinating Post-Acute Care (BACPAC) Act of 2014 (HR 4673). This bill, introduced by Representatives David McKinley (R-WV) and Tom Price (R-GA), would establish bundled payments for post-acute care services covered by Medicare and ensure patients are receiving post-acute care in the most cost efficient setting.

"Much like the IMPACT Act, the BACPAC Act offers patient centered solutions to reform Medicare and improve quality and care coordination for Medicare beneficiaries," added Berger. "We thank Congress for its continued diligence in improving healthcare for our seniors."

The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare was established to assist government officials in ensuring access to skilled home healthcare services for seniors and disabled Americans. Representing more than 2,000 community- and hospital-based home healthcare agencies across the U.S., the Partnership is dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the quality, efficiency and integrity of home healthcare. To learn more, visit www.homehealth4america.org. To join the home healthcare policy conversation, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

SOURCE Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare