Smith, Dingell Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Modernize Medicare and Expand Patient Choice

Today, Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health, and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI), a member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, introduced the Bringing Rehabilitation, Integrated Delivery, and Greater Extended (BRIDGE) Care at Home Act. The bipartisan bill would provide Medicare beneficiaries with greater flexibility to access skilled nursing services in the comfort of their own homes following a qualifying hospital stay.

"When it comes to healthcare, one size does not fit all, and patients deserve to have choices. Too often, options are unnecessarily restricted-especially for Medicare beneficiaries. I introduced my bipartisan BRIDGE Care at Home Act to modernize Medicare and give beneficiaries more control over their care options,"said Smith.

"Across the country there is a shortage of beds in skilled nursing facilities for patients needing post-hospital short term care, resulting in extended stays in the hospital, causing delays in available beds and unnecessarily long hospital visits. This shortage of care impacts both the wishes and care of Medicare patients, and the care of all other patients across hospitals. Most patients prefer to receive care at home, so we must do more to support access to skilled nursing care in the home for patients who prefer that option. And most importantly, it is the less expensive option for both families and the government. I am proud to support this bipartisan bill which would address those shortages and put patients first,"said Dingell.

Stakeholder Support:

"Hospital at home demonstrated that seniors can be treated at home safely and effectively. The BRIDGE Care at Home Act would test the idea of skilled nursing and intensive rehabilitation services at home, helping patients maintain their independence, supporting caregivers and giving providers an alternative to working in an institutional setting,"said Moving Health Home Founder Krista Drobac.

"SNF-level rehab in the home environment allows patients to rebuild functional independence directly in the spaces where they actually live. Patients sleep better, move more, and face lower risks of delirium and nosocomial complications when their acute recovery happens at home. Advanced recovery without the hospital walls: better rest, fewer complications, and real-life rehab in the comfort of your own home,"said Sandford Health Marshfield Clinic Home Recovery Care Medical Director Swetha Gudibanda, MD.

"Our Home Recovery Care Plus has proven that patients can safely receive skilled nursing and rehabilitation services at home, with strong outcomes and high satisfaction. By combining in-person nursing and therapy, physician oversight, remote monitoring, and coordinated care, we help patients recover in the comfort of their homes while reducing unnecessary facility stays and the costs associated with institutional care. BRIDGE Care at Home builds on what is already working-giving patients more choice in where they recover, avoiding unnecessary institutional stays, and lowering health care costs,"said Highmark Health Senior Vice President for Home and Community Services Mona Siddiqui.

BACKGROUND:
Currently, Medicare covers qualifying skilled nursing care in a facility but does not offer a comparable payment model for delivering that care at home. At the same time, limited capacities at skilled nursing facilities (SNF) forces thousands of patients to remain in hospitals longer than medically necessary, delaying discharges and creating backups for other patients awaiting admission.

Smith's BRIDGE Care at Home Act would create a five-year Medicare SNF-at-Home pilot program, allowing beneficiaries to receive skilled nursing services at home instead of at a SNF. Polling shows 85 percent of people who have had experience with care in the home would recommend it to family and friends. The program would empower providers to develop new models of care, expand options for patients, and reduce pressure on hospitals and SNFs.

The bill also directs the Department of Health and Human Services Secretary to compare the quality, outcomes, costs, and patient characteristics of beneficiaries who receive skilled nursing care at home with those who receive it in a facility over the course of the program's five-year period.

Click here to read the full text of the bill.