Kerry, Grassley Introduce ‘Empowered at Home Act’

WASHINGTON–On Thursday, Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Chuck
Grassley, R-Iowa, introduced the “Empowered at Home
Act.” The bill seeks to give states new tools and incentives
to make home- and community-based services more available to those
who need them, its sponsors said, with the aim of keeping the
elderly and disabled in need of care in their homes instead of
funneling them into more expensive long-term care
settings.

“Far too many elderly or disabled Americans can’t get
the help they need in their home and community,” Kerry said
in a joint statement from the senators. “Home- and
community-based services are high-quality, cost-effective, and help
many people live independent lives, but Medicaid continues to favor
nursing homes.

“It’s a problem when the nation’s largest purchaser of
long-term care services is tilted towards nursing homes rather than
home- and community-based services,” he continued.
“This bill will level the playing field and give families
real choices to care for their loved ones, and give cash-strapped
states new tools to provide cost-effective long-term care options
to the most vulnerable.”

“Being able to live at home greatly improves quality of life
because people can be with loved ones and have the dignity that
goes with greater independence,” said Grassley. “This
bill encourages states to help make that possible, which is also
fiscally smart because institutional care is the most expensive
form of long-term care that Medicaid pays for. This bill also
empowers individuals to manage the financial burdens that come with
caregiving needs.”

The Empowered at Home Act has four basic parts:

First, it would improve the Medicaid HCBS State Plan Amendment
Option by giving states more flexibility in determining eligibility
for which services they can offer under the program, which would
create greater options for individuals in need of long-term
support. “In return, we ask that states no longer cap
enrollment and that services be offered throughout the entire
state,” the senators said.

Second, the bill ensures that the same spousal impoverishment
protections offered for new nursing home beneficiaries would be in
place for those opting for home- and community-based services. In
addition, low-income recipients of those services would be able to
keep more of their assets when they become eligible for Medicaid,
allowing them to stay in their community as long as
possible.

Third, the bill addresses the financial needs of spouses and family
members caring for a loved one by offering tax-related provisions
to support family caregivers and promote the purchase of private
long-term care insurance.

Finally, the bill seeks to improve the overall quality of home- and
community-based services available by providing grants for states
to invest in organizations and systems that can help to ensure a
sufficient supply of high-quality workers, promote health and
transform home- and community-based care to be more
consumer-centered.

The
National Council on Aging, Alzheimer’s Association, American
Geriatrics Society, Trust for America’s Health and other
organizations are supporting the measure.