Medicare Independence at Home Medical Practice Demonstration Improvement Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 971, the Medicare Independence at Home Extension Medical Practice Demonstration Improvement Act. As was pointed out, it is a 2-year extension to a very important and critical component of ObamaCare.

I thank Mr. Roskam from Illinois and Mr. Burgess from Texas, the two folks who coauthored the House bill with me. I appreciate them and their staff for the great work they did.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, more than two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries suffer from multiple chronic conditions, the care and the treatment for which account for more than a majority of the Medicare spending. These costs are expected to increase substantially with the growing population of seniors, particularly those living with multiple chronic conditions.

Consequently, there is a need for programs aimed at reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and ER visits, strengthening chronic care coordination for our sickest seniors, and slowing the growth in Medicare spending.

This program, the independence at home demonstration program, was created in ObamaCare to do just that. This program provides chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries with primary care services in the comfort of their homes, where they will be able to retain their independence, dignity, and quality of life. It is essential. In essence, it is doctors making house calls, a ``back to the future'' way of providing care.

The demonstration is targeted; it is immediate; it is proven; it is fiscally responsible, and it is in high demand by Medicare beneficiaries and their families in my home State of California and every State in the Nation.

During its first year, the demonstration saved over $25 million, an average of over $3,000 per benefactor. These are very real savings, and there is more to come if we act today to extend this important and successful demonstration for 2 more years. Without this extension, there would be a disruption in care for our most fragile seniors and lost savings to the Medicare Program.

The independence at home demonstration enjoys strong, bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent and in the Ways and Means Committee on a voice vote. I hope that we do the same here. I urge everyone to vote for this important piece of legislation.

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