Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Tom Petri (R-Wis.) have introduced the bipartisan Medicare Transitional Care Act, which would provide additional support for Medicare beneficiaries transitioning from a hospital setting to their homes or another care facility.
The Act would help ensure Medicare beneficiaries receive the follow-up care they need by providing for improvements in medication management, movement between care levels and coordination of support services such as medical equipment and meals.
"It doesn't make sense to have a program that only provides part of the care Medicare patients need just to have them become sick as soon as they leave the hospital," Rep. Petri said in a news release.
"Transitions from hospital to home can be complicated and risky, especially for individuals with multiple chronic illnesses," Rep. Blumenauer said in the release. "There's a lot of confusion and uncertainty over instructions, medications and prognosis. Our bill will support people coming out of the hospital so they don't just wind up right back in, which is expensive and dangerous."
The Medicare Transitional Care Act has gained support from many organizations, including The National Transitions of Care Coalition and American Society of Aging.
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