Bill Proposes New Funding for Adult Day Centers

The Medicare Adult Day Services Act (H.R. 3043) would permit Medicare funds currently designated for home visits or rehab centers to also be used by adult day programs. It's got the support of numerous advocacy groups for caregivers, yet it's currently stalled in Congress.

Currently, after Medicare participants have spent three days in the hospital, they're eligible to receive Medicare-reimbursed post-acute care at either a rehab facility or nursing home. The care is capped at 100 days a year, but it's crucial for individuals who are well enough to leave a hospital but not quire recovered enough to go back to their pre-hospital lives.

The Medicare Adult Services Act would expand this coverage to include reimbursing properly certified adult day health centers to care for post-acute individuals, including transporting them from their homes to the centers and providing physical and occupational therapy and access to social workers.

The New York Times' New Old Age Blog recently posted an in-depth look at the Medicare Adult Day Services Act. Click here to check it out. The AAHSA has also posted an online form for supporters to contact their representatives in support of the bill.