Health care services delivered at home can save on costs

Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester June 27th 2009

June 22 marked the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision. In this landmark decision, the Supreme Court affirmed the right of people with disabilities, regardless of age or type of disability, to live in the most integrated setting.

Prior to this decision, it was often viewed as legal and acceptable for states to put individuals in nursing homes just because they needed a few hours of help each day and could not privately afford that help.

It’s been 10 years since Olmstead, and while some progress has been made, much more is needed. Unfortunately, the debate over healthcare reform is excluding the long-term care needs of seniors and people with disabilities. This is a mistake that will cost billions of dollars in the long run and will cost many people their choice to stay at home and receive services.

Long-term care services and supports, including in-home services and nursing facilities and other institutions, are a large portion of our nation’s health expenditures. Nursing facilities are an expensive and outmoded means of providing needed assistance to seniors and younger people with disabilities. Very few people want to live in nursing facilities, and states could save money if they provided people the support needed to live at home. The time for change is now.

Legislation called the Community Choice Act (HR1670/S683) would eliminate the institutional bias that forces people into expensive facilities, rather than providing services at home.

CCA is cosponsored locally by Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Representatives Dan Maffei, Eric Massa and Louise Slaughter.

Healthcare reform is the perfect vehicle to end the institutional bias and pass CCA, but the White House and leaders in Congress are indicating that they will work on this issue “later.” In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “wait” has almost always meant “never.”

Our nation cannot continue to wait for reform in long-term care.

Chris Hilderbrant is the director of the Advocacy Center for Disability Rights.