Home Health Care Reform

So despite having full practice as Nurse Practitioners in the state of CT and being able to work entirely without an MD after 3 years. We cannot order home health care for our patients due to federal regulations. There are currently bills in both the house and senate to address this issue. PLEASE contact your representative to ask for their support. Lets help people get the access to health care they need!!

You may be surprised to learn that health insurers will only cover home health services ordered by a physician. Advanced practice nurses (APRN) are qualified to order home care services and legally authorized to do so within their scope of practice in every state. Yet, due to Medicare law (written in 1964, before APRNs even existed), the ordering of home care services is restricted to physicians. APRNs are effectively barred from ordering this essential service, because in order to be reimbursed, home care agencies (e.g. Visiting Nurse Service) will only take home care orders from a physician. This can only be corrected legislatively at the Federal level. There is a Senate Bill for this, S.445 - The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) is the chief sponsor. The bill has 37 co-sponsors.:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/445

S.445 - Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017 ... www.congress.gov Summary of S.445 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017

In the House of Representatives, the companion bill for this is H.R.1825 - The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act. Representative Chris Collins (R-NY) is the chief sponsor. The bill has 114 co-sponsors.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1825

H.R.1825 - Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of ... www.congress.gov Summary of H.R.1825 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017

Please call and email your U.S. Senator and ask them to co-sponsor and support the passage of S. 445, The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act. Please call and email your U.S. Representative and ask them to co-sponsor and support H.R.1825, The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act. Ask your family and friends to do the same. You can find contact information for both your U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative here:

http://whoismyrepresentative.com/