Kenyon Connects

In recent posts I’ve explored some of the reasons why it would be beneficial for the home health industry if Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Advanced Practice Nurses (ARNPs), and Physician Assistants (PAs) were given more independence to make decisions about care and to sign off on important Medicare reimbursement paperwork.  This will be especially true if Congress goes ahead with its plans to cut Medicare payments to physicians and more and more doctors refuse to include Medicare patients in their practice. 

But there are even more reasons why greater independence should be granted to nurses:  the times simply demand it. 

The home health industry can no longer afford to sustain business as usual.   It’s getting more and more difficult to successfully run agencies that are weighted down by reduced Medicare reimbursements and cuts in overall government spending.  While some in power think reducing entitlements is the way to balance the budget, they ignore the real business losses that will accompany those cuts. 

With the economic downturn, the loss of retirement accounts, and the devaluation of homes, all the previous safety nets for the elderly are fading fast. Unless there are some major changes in how healthcare is funded, who will care for this vital population? 

In spite of the downturns, every study indicates home health is still going to be a boom industry in the future.  If Congress continues to reduce benefits in the Medicare program, we may have to step back and come up with a whole new way of doing business.

Let’s turn our troubles into positive actions and start training NPs, ARNPs, and PAs to be independent decision makers.  As doctors continue to turn away Medicare patients, home health will need qualified health experts in the field who can take over patient loads, sign off on reimbursement paperwork, and deliver the high quality of care that is the hallmark of our industry.

In the coming months on this blog, I will be exploring ways that home health can direct their services to niche markets that will thrive, even in a downturn economy.  If you want to know when these articles are posted, please subscribe to the Kenyon Connects RSS feed.  It’s a great way to stay connected.

Category: Ginny's Blog, Healthcare Reform