WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) today delivered the following remarks to the American Association of Homecare:

"I have had several opportunities to observe your profession close up. Many years ago when I was a member of the House, a home health provider in Hutchinson, Kansas invited me to go along on her home visits for the day. It was one of my first health care visits as the 1^st District Congressman nearly 30 years ago. This day had such a dramatic impact on me and made me realize the incredible value of the personal touch of the home care industry.

"Last year after I was honored with the Kansas Home Health Hero Award, Jane invited me to go on another home health visit, this time in Concordia, Kansas with Cloud County Home Health. Diana Gering, the Home Health Coordinator in Cloud County took me out to the home of Duane and Phyllis, a wonderful couple with multiple health issues who required the services of a home nurse and a home health aide. I visited with Duane and Phyllis, and their dog Josie, and I was so touched by the fact that this couple, despite their health problems, was able to stay together in their home thanks to the services provided by good people like you.

"As the co-chair of the Senate Rural Health Care Caucus, I understand how critical home and hospice care is for our seniors. In my home state of Kansas and other rural areas, many seniors live alone or out in the country miles away from a local hospital or doctor’s office.

"Home care allows that senior the freedom and independence to stay in the home, and the comfort of knowing someone is there assisting with their health care needs. More importantly, home care is cost effective care that keeps a senior out of a nursing home or hospital.

"And, I know that a family must take great comfort in knowing that if they can’t be there, the local home health provider is there caring for their mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, sister, or brother. So, I want to truly thank you for you what you do. Your efforts have certainly not gone unnoticed.

"However, all of you here today know that your industry has been on the chopping block by this and the previous administration. On the administrative front, CMS’ plan to cut payments for home health services by nearly 12 percent over four years went into effect last year. In fact, MedPAC has recommended that these cuts be accelerated which would result in current rates being reduced by 5.46 percent in 2010.

"These cuts are based on CMS’s misguided and unfounded allegations of "upcoding" or what they call "case mix creep". I am extremely disappointed that CMS implemented these cuts without any evidence or any input from Congress or those of you on the ground actually doing this work. More disturbing is that CMS has not made public any of the details on the research method, data and findings they used to justify the planned cuts! This certainly makes you scratch your head on what they’re up to over at CMS.

"I will spare you my usual CMS rant in the interest of time, but I have long had concerns that sometimes their outfit is more concerned with balancing the books rather than truly understanding the needs of Medicare beneficiaries and providers.

"Unfortunately, on top of these administrative cuts, President Obama’s budget proposes to cut over $37 billion from Medicare home health spending over the next ten years! Apparently he doesn’t think the regulatory cuts are enough.

"Well, I am here to tell you that I am doing everything I can to make sure this doesn’t happen. I am using my position on the Senate Finance Committee and Rural Health Caucus to tell my Senate colleagues to stop, listen and understand what is happening to your industry before moving forward with any cuts.

"This is why I have joined forces with Senator Susan Collins in sending a letter to Finance Committee Chairman Baucus and Ranking Member Grassley asking them to oppose further cuts to home health, and to support a full market basket update for 2010.

"I applaud your organization for being so well-armed with information showing the projected impact of the administrative cuts and the provider payment freezes in each state. It is certainly a dismal outlook not only in Kansas, but in every state throughout the country. I encourage you to continue to pound the pavement and show members of Congress in all of your states what your industry is up against!

"I have serious concerns that under the banner of "cost containment" we are rationing health care. More concerning is that we are driving health providers out of the Medicare program. Sure, we can easily save some money by cutting provider payments or freezing annual payments, but we will be left with no providers willing or able to participate in the Medicare program - and what does that do for our seniors?

"On that note, I know all of you probably want to know what is going to happen with a possible health care reform bill this year. As you know, President Obama has indicated that he would like to achieve health care reform this year.

"It is my hope that we’ll be able to come together and work in a bipartisan fashion to pass common-sense health care reforms that protect patient access and choice and which are not paid for on the backs of health care providers like you. I am also hopeful that we can make some good improvements to the Medicare program, including reinstating the 5 percent add-on payment for home health services in rural areas.

"This is a provision I have long championed, and I included it in a comprehensive rural health care bill I introduced last Congress with Senator Kent Conrad honoring the late Senator Craig Thomas - the Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act.

"I want to assure you that I will not stand back and allow your industry to be used as a piggy bank to pay for health care reform. This is simply not fair and not sustainable for your industry, and I am committed to making sure this doesn’t happen."

Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and is Co-Chairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus.

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