MEDIA CONTACT: Barbara D. Woolley
NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT: Barbara D. Woolley
202-547-7424
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice Supports Re-introduction of
Senators Thune, Klobuchar Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC (March 27, 2013) – During the National Association for Home Care Hospice’s March on Washington, Senator John Thune (R-SD) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) re-introduced legislation to expand the use of telehealth technology under Medicare to reduce hospital re-admissions in rural and underserved communities across the country.
“The National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) and its affiliated Home Care Technology Association of America (HCTAA) are grateful to Senators Thune and Klobuchar for their leadership and foresight in introducing the FITT Act,” said Val J. Halamandaris, President of NAHC. “This is common sense legislation that can improve care and outcomes and help stretch limited health care funds at a time when more and more Americans will need them. Remote monitoring is a top priority for home care.”
The bipartisan Fostering Independence Through Technology (FITT) Act - S. 596 - would create pilot programs to provide incentives for home health agencies to use remote patient monitoring (RPM) technology to better monitor Medicare beneficiaries, improve health outcomes, and reduce Medicare expenditures. The FITT Act is designed to be budget-neutral, and must demonstrate cost-savings in Medicare.
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 to some 12 million Americans each year who are infirm, chronically ill, and disabled. Along with its advocacy, NAHC provides information to help its members provide the highest quality of care and is committed to excellence in every respect. To learn more about NAHC, visit www.nahc.org.