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.