On May 18, 2017, the Senate Finance Committee passed the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017, a bipartisan bill focused on improving care for chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries. The Senate Finance Committee approved the CHRONIC Care Act unanimously by a vote of 26-0.
Key provisions of the CHRONIC Care Act include:
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Extending by two years the Independence at Home (IAH) program, which establishes home-based primary care teams for Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions;
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Allowing reimbursement for additional social services;
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Giving Medicare Advantage plans and accountable care organizations greater flexibility to offer telehealth services; and
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Expanding access to telehealth for home dialysis and stroke assessments.
In a statement, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said that “[a]s the first major bipartisan health care bill introduced in the 115th Congress, the CHRONIC Care Act will improve disease management, lower Medicare costs and streamline care coordination services – all with bipartisan solutions and without adding to the deficit. I commend Ranking Member Wyden and Senators Isakson and Warner for their leadership on this issue and look forward to continuing to work with them to ensure this legislation is enacted into law.”
A draft of the bill can be found here.
