ALS patients desperately need the ALS Association to ACT IMMEDIATELY

ALS patients desperately need the ALS Association to ACT IMMEDIATELY to address and correct home care issues. There is miscommunication, as well as a knowledge deficit, of the home health services options available through insurance programs, including Medicare. There is also a great disparity between the home care coverage allowed by Medicaid as compared to Medicare. As a result, we are being forced into unnecessary and extreme circumstances, including: premature placement in skilled nursing facilities; family deterioration and collapse as a product of the immense strain placed upon it; bankruptcy, and, early death. The taxpayers are then unjustly burdened with the resolution of debt, increased health care costs from unnecessary skilled nursing facilities placements and increased utilization of government programs. The National ALS Advocacy Day & Public Policy Conference 2016 will be held in Washington D.C. on May 8-10, 2016. Barbara Newhouse, President & CEO of the ALS Association, MUST MAKE HOME CARE FOR ALS PATIENTS THE #1 PRIORITY TO BE ADDRESSED. Issues which must be resolved in 2016 include: Lobby Medicare and Congress to modify guidelines and regulations for home health services, including, but not limited to:
Increase home health services coverage and hours per week allowed to equaling or being greater than those provided for by Medicaid.

Add as an independent, sole qualifying factor for home health services the loss of use and mobility of upper and/or lower extremities.

Increase the duration of home health services re-certification requirements from 60 day intervals to 180 day intervals.

Ensure the process to receive home health services benefits is simple, streamlined and guarantees consistent and dependable access to the maximum allowable hours per week in each of the six disciplines*.