AHA shares Medicare chronic care principles with Senate working group

The AHA today submitted recommendations to the Senate Finance Committee’s chronic care working group, chaired by Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Mark Warner (D-VA). The group, announced in May, sought feedback from stakeholders on ways to improve outcomes for Medicare patients with chronic conditions. The AHA urged the senators to consider expanding access to telehealth, removing legal barriers to clinical integration, and better engaging beneficiaries in their health and health care. “Care that is coordinated across settings and over time is particularly important for patients with chronic conditions; however, the Medicare payment structure historically has not incentivized providers to coordinate care,” wrote AHA Senior Vice President Tom Nickels. “This has led to a fragmented care system. In addition, regulatory barriers discourage health care providers from working together to improve patient care and prevent Medicare beneficiaries and providers from fully realizing the benefits offered by telehealth technologies.”