Read more: Local, Medicare, Home Heatlh, Budget Cuts
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Many Americans depend on Medicare home health care to keep them healthy and at home, but should they be worried?
The new health care reform bill if it passes, is proposing to take out up to 60 billion dollars out of the Medicare home health plan.
With these cuts access to care could be jeopardized, and nearly 70% of all home health agencies would be paid less than the cost of care by 2011.
The industry is no stranger to cuts. Back in '97 the balanced budget act triggered the loss of 40% of health care agencies.
In fact, Medicare health care spending about a billion dollars less today than it was 12 years ago.
Officials say they knew budget cuts were coming, but it still makes them nervous.
Accolade Director of Development Freda Kelley said, "the proposals that are comming now are frightening, one of the most frightening things is that we already have a reduced reimbursement for care in the rural areas and just adding another reduction to that is going to make it more difficult."
There is no direct discussion of how cuts will be directed, just how much.
