Wyden Touts Success Of Independence At Home Model

CMS Demonstration Continues to Save Medicare Thousands per Beneficiary in Second Year

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today touted new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) showing strong second year results from the Independence at Home Demonstration, which provides primary care services to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes. Wyden also celebrated news that Housecall Providers, Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, had the highest level of cost savings in the 15-practice demonstration group. Housecall Providers also had the highest savings in the first year of the demonstration.

“Now in its second year, Independence at Home is clearly a success story of health care done right,” Wyden said. “This data shows that giving quality care to seniors at home not only provides better care for those with serious chronic illnesses, but also holds down health costs.”

“I’m proud of Housecall Providers, which was my inspiration for authoring Independence at Home and including it in the Affordable Care Act, for its continued leadership,” Wyden continued. “I’m going to push harder than ever to make sure older Americans across the country can continue to receive this kind of care in the comfort of their home.”

“To be able to deliver excellent patient-centered care to the chronically ill and save Medicare millions of dollars is a winning combination,” says Terri Hobbs, executive director of Housecall Providers. “Sen. Wyden’s leadership has been critical to moving home-based medicine forward in America and I am certain he will continue to guide the national discussion until Independence at Home is made a Medicare Program.”

CMS found that Independence at Home participants saved over $10 million in the second performance year, which is an average of $1,010 per participating beneficiary. More information from CMS is available here.

IAH uses primary care teams providing care in the home to improve health outcomes and reduce expenditures for Medicare beneficiaries living with multiple chronic conditions. While providing high quality, consistent care is the top priority, health care providers whose expenditures are less than a target amount are eligible for bonus payments as long as they meet quality of care standards.

Independence at home was included as a demonstration project in the Affordable Care Act. Wyden authored the provision along with Senator Edward Markey, D-Mass. Last year, Wyden helped push a two-year extension of the Independence at Home Demonstration through Congress.

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