Statement by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice: Recent New York Times Op-Ed Underscores Congress' Ability to Reduce Medicare Spending Through "Smart" Cuts that Help Patients, Driven by Research and Best Practices

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) commended the authors of an Aug. 22 New York Times opposite editorial for their position that Congress should reduce spending by making "smart cuts" that eliminate medical tests, treatments and procedures that don't work – or that cost significantly more than other treatments while delivering no better health outcomes.

"As the Special Committee on Deficit Reduction prepares to convene in order to pursue $1.2 trillion in cuts to government spending, we would ask them to carefully consider which programs work, and which do not," said Val J. Halamandaris, president of NAHC. "Skilled home healthcare services save the Medicare program and taxpayers money because they allow Americans to receive high-quality, skilled nursing and therapy services at a fraction of the cost of institutional settings. There are clear and obvious ways to reduce spending within the Medicare program – several of them mentioned in the recent article – that would not only save money, but that would also protect patients from the pain, stress and risk associated with unnecessary care. "

Continued Halamandaris, "The home healthcare community understands Congress' charge to reduce the growth rate of health care spending. In fact, everyone who has a stake in Medicare should have a stake in helping Congress meet this important goal in a manner that is thoughtful, fiscally responsible and in the best interest of patients. NAHC and the home healthcare community are proud to be doing our part by proposing solutions that would find savings in improved efficiency and fraud detection for all providers in Medicare in part by an increased use of telehealth."

"As the authors of the op-ed so aptly described, across-the-board cuts to Medicare, and policies that shift costs to beneficiaries, or that reduce spending in one area only to increase it in another simply will not work in the long term. We need the Special Committee to propose smart solutions that will make Medicare, and home healthcare, stronger today and for generations to come," said Halamandaris.

The op-ed "Cut Medicare, Help Patients" appeared in the August 22 edition of the New York Times and was authored by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, an oncologist and incoming vice provost and professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and Jeffrey B. Liebman, a professor of public policy at Harvard. Both were White House advisers. The op-ed is viewable at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/opinion/cut-medicare-help-patients.html?ref=opinion.

About NAHC
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 and www.caring.org.

SOURCE National Association for Home Care & Hospice