Long-term care legislation could fuel HME business
By HME News Staff
Updated Sun June 1, 2003
June 2, 2003
WASHINGTON - Congress is considering legislation that would pay for home attendants as alternatives to institutional care - a move that could fuel business for HMEs.
The Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services And Supports Act of 2003 (MiCASSA) would allow individuals to choose a level of attendant care, based on need, rather going into a nursing home or other institutional care facility.
For HME companies, the consequence of MiCASSA is plain: Fewer patients in facility-based care means more home care services, including medical equipment, say industry watchers.
The average nursing home costs $64,000 per person annually. With MiCASSA in place, states could save approximately $21,000 for every person transitioned from a facility, according to industry sources.
For more on this story, see the July issue of HME News.
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