The Senate Finance Committee’s chronic care working group has issued a policy options document presenting more than 20 proposals for improving how Medicare serves beneficiaries with chronic medical conditions.
The document is the product of a bipartisan work group. The proposals it presents include:
- Expanding the independence at home model of care
- Expanding access to home hemodialysis therapy
- Providing Medicare Advantage enrollees with hospice benefits
- Allowing end-stage renal disease beneficiaries to choose a Medicare Advantage plan
- Providing continued access to Medicare Advantage special needs plans for vulnerable populations
- Improving care management services for individuals with multiple chronic conditions
- Addressing the need for behavioral health among chronically ill beneficiaries
- Adapting benefits to meet the needs of chronically ill Medicare Advantage enrollees
- Expanding supplemental benefits to meet the needs of chronically ill Medicare Advantage enrollees
- Increasing convenience for Medicare Advantage enrollees through telehealth
- Providing ACOs the ability to expand use of telehealth
- Maintaining ACO flexibility to provide supplemental services
- Expanding use of telehealth for individuals with stroke
- Ensuring accurate payment for chronically ill individuals
- Providing flexibility for beneficiaries to be part of an accountable care organization
- Developing quality measures for chronic conditions
- Encouraging beneficiary use of chronic care management services
- Establishing a one-time visit code post initial diagnosis of Alzheimer’s/dementia or other serious or life-threatening illness
- Eliminating barriers to care coordination under accountable care organizations
- Expanding access to prediabetes education
- Expanding access to digital coaching
- Increasing transparency at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation
- Study on medication synchronization
- Study on obesity drugs
Go here to see the complete document, titled Bipartisan Chronic Care Working Group Policy Options Document.
The committee has invited written feedback on its proposals and will then seek to turn those proposals into legislation to be advanced through the committee and Congress next year.
