Medicare at Home Act
Sponsored By: Representative Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
Introduced
Summary
a new Medicare Part B benefit would cover limited in-home help for activities of daily living and related tasks under a physician-approved plan of care. The benefit would be capped at 20 hours per week and require certification that a person needs help with at least two activities of daily living (ADLs), two instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), or one of each.
Show full summary
- For Medicare beneficiaries and families: Eligible people could get up to 20 hours per week of help with bathing, dressing, meals, medication reminders, and light housekeeping. The bill cites high out-of-pocket costs that can exceed $60,000 a year and aims to help people remain at home and cut those costs.
- For home care workers: Payment rules must include a reasonable wage floor and standards for worker qualifications and agency enrollment. The Department of Health and Human Services would write those rules within 1 year.
- For Medicare financing: Home Care Services would be added to Part B and the law would adjust the Part B monthly premium to reflect the benefit's actuarial cost. The Chief Actuary would be required to estimate the per-beneficiary premium impact within 180 days.
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
New Medicare home care benefit
If enacted, Medicare Part B would cover a new "home care services" benefit provided in your home by a home care worker under a doctor- or practitioner-approved plan. Services would include help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, toileting, moving, and eating, plus meal prep, medication reminders, and light health-related housekeeping. You would need a plan certifying you need help with at least 2 ADLs, 2 IADLs, or 1 ADL and 1 IADL. Services would be limited to 20 hours per week and would not apply if you are already getting the same long-term services through Medicaid when the services are furnished. Coverage would begin for services furnished on or after the first day of the first plan year beginning more than two years after enactment.
Pay rules, worker pay, and premiums
If enacted, HHS would set how Medicare pays for the new home care benefit. Payment rules would have to reflect a reasonable wage floor for home care workers. The Medicare Part B monthly premium would be adjusted to reflect the benefit's actuarial cost, following existing premium subsidy rules. The Secretary would have to write regulations within one year on worker qualifications and agency enrollment before the benefit starts.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov