Dear Editor:

I’m a home health professional who is concerned about the quality and access of home care in our region. As our state population ages, with citizens age 65 and over expected to account for more than 20 percent of the population by age 65, President Obama’s proposed budget would cut $34 billion in Medicare home health payments over the next decade. 

These reductions present a distressing situation for older Alabamans and their families. As our state residents age, they will likely develop more chronic health conditions, such as heart and lung diseases, diabetes, balance dysfunction, joint problems and other illnesses.  These folks will be prime beneficiaries of home health services.  The cuts could seriously affect the ability of state residents to benefit from home care and force those people into costly institutions, especially those citizens who live in rural areas.  

At the same time, federal officials want to improve care of older Americans and control rising Medicare costs.  Ironically, home health is a solution to these challenges. Advanced home treatments for a wide range of illnesses, including those mentioned above, are demonstrating their ability to keep people out of much more costly hospitals for a year or more. A single day in a hospital costs Medicare more than $4,600, while a 60-day episode of homecare is around $2,200, so it’s easy to see why increased use of home health could save Medicare billions of dollars. Plus, older Alabamans overwhelmingly prefer to receive their health care at home.

The federal government needs to invest in home care and not cut.  Alabamians and their families should immediately contact their members of Congress, including Rep. Jo Bonner and Sens. Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, to protest these reductions and save home health.

Starla Sullivan

Daphne