Healthcare That Feels Right at Home

(NewsUSA) - One solution to skyrocketing medical costs is right in your home.

Business and government experts agree that receiving medical care at home is one of the answers to controlling rising healthcare costs, especially in Medicare and Medicaid. More home-care could help lower medical costs.

About 8 million seniors and disabled people depend on home-based care. Examples of home-care and equipment include oxygen therapy, power wheelchairs, hospital beds and diabetic supplies.

Durable medical equipment providers deliver equipment and services to patients' homes, often immediately after a person is discharged from the hospital. The home medical equipment provider promptly delivers the prescribed medical equipment and supplies, adjusts the devices and provides instruction to make sure the equipment is used properly and safely. The provider is available for emergency help, additional adjustments and other assistance.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, care in the home is vastly more cost-effective than care in a hospital or nursing home. Studies show that home-care reduces hospital admissions and emergency room visits, which saves money for patients and taxpayers.

A recent Harris poll revealed that approximately four out of five Americans (82 percent) would prefer to receive medical services at home. In that poll, 78 percent of voters said they would vote for candidates who strengthen Medicare coverage for home medical equipment and services.

While durable medical equipment is the smallest and slowest-growing portion of Medicare, it is sometimes a convenient target for policymakers in Washington. Some believe Medicare prices for home medical equipment and services should be based on what a consumer would pay for the equipment alone if it were purchased on the Internet or at a discount store. But Medicare beneficiaries who require home medical devices, like oxygen concentrators, cannot simply order the equipment over the Internet, adjust it to the prescribed level and teach themselves proper use. Also, the home medical equipment provider must strictly comply with mountains of Medicare regulations and paperwork in order to get reimbursed for equipment and services provided.

Tyler J. Wilson, president of the American Association for Homecare, says, "Home medical care and equipment will continue to be safe and cost-effective as long as policymakers remember that homecare requires services and personal attention for seniors."

For more information on homecare, visit www.aahomecare.org.

"Article By: NewsUSA"