Medicare covers skilled nursing care in facilities but does not offer a comparable model for receiving the same level of care at home. A newly introduced bill aims to change that.
The Bringing Rehabilitation, Integrated Delivery and Greater Extended (BRIDGE) Care at Home Act would create a five-year Medicare skilled nursing facility (SNF) at-home pilot program, allowing eligible beneficiaries to receive the services at home rather than in a facility.
The pilot is designed to enable providers to develop new care models, expand patient options and reduce pressure on hospitals and SNFs.
Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb. and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich. introduced the bill on Thursday.
Dingell cited a shortage of beds in skilled nursing facilities as one reason for expanding access to care at home.
“Most patients prefer to receive care at home, so we must do more to support access to skilled nursing care in the home for patients who prefer that option,” Dingell said. “And most importantly, it is the less expensive option for both families and the government.”
If passed, the bill would also direct the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to compare the quality, outcomes, costs and patient characteristics of beneficiaries who receive skilled nursing care at home with those who receive it in an SNF during the five-year pilot.
Several organizations supported the bill’s introduction, including LeadingAge, Moving Health Home, Caring Across Generations and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
The bill would mark a step toward modernizing Medicare, according to Moving Health Home.
“Hospital at home demonstrated that seniors can be treated at home safely and effectively,” Krista Drobac, founder of Moving Health Home, said in a statement. “The BRIDGE Care at Home Act would further expand the options for home-based care, thereby giving patients choice, supporting caregivers and giving providers an alternative to working in an institutional setting.”
Moving Health Home is a coalition of healthcare organizations working to make the home a site of clinical services.
LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan said that the organization applauds Dingell and Kim’s commitment to advancing access to in-home and in-community care.
“The Medicare at Home Act sets an agenda and important focus for the future by expanding Medicare coverage to include personal care services in the home–a critical need that many older adults and families mistakenly assume is paid for by the current Medicare benefit,” Sloan said.