Although some may not be familiar with home care, it is important for people to recognize – particularly decision makers in Washington – how these services effectively address our seniors’ and disabled residents’ care needs by enabling home-bound individuals to receive high-quality clinical services, utilize advanced technologies and recover from surgery and illness in the comfort of their own homes – all while saving the care system money.

Home care services are utilized by people of all ages and backgrounds. However the program is predominantly used by elderly Medicare beneficiaries with multiple health conditions and limited economic means. In order to qualify for the Medicare home health benefit, individuals must be home-bound and require skilled nursing or therapy. Nationwide, nearly 3.5 million Medicare beneficiaries receive skilled home health care services to treat acute illnesses, chronic health conditions, permanent disabilities and terminal illnesses.

They can now receive a variety of essential medical treatments, ranging from monitoring for congestive heart failure to physical therapy to diabetes medications, in the comfort of their own homes. Though these types of services were once only offered in a hospital or physician’s office, now thanks to innovative technologies and greater coordination among care providers, they can be delivered safely, effectively and efficiently in the home by skilled caregivers.

Home care has the ability to play a tremendous role in reducing care spending by treating more people in a cost-effective manner at a fraction of the cost of other institutional settings, such as nursing homes, which cost more than four times the cost of receiving care in one’s home.

A recent study of Medicare claims data showed that when used as the first post-acute care setting for hip fracture patients, home care saves the Medicare system $5,411 per patient. But savings like these may be harder to come by in the future with fewer providers due to the impact of disproportionate cuts to home care since 2010 and additional cuts proposed by CMS. While home care only makes up 4 percent of the Medicare budget, it has taken 10 percent of the cuts since 2010, with even more proposed.

A recent report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between now and 2020, home health aides will be one of the fastest growing occupations. However, those jobs may not materialize with additional cuts.

On behalf of the millions of our nation’s elderly who are thriving thanks to skilled home care, I hope our lawmakers will safeguard these vital services as they make important decisions in Washington. Cuts to Medicare and proposed co-pays could hurt this industry that so many rely on.

That is why the Pennsylvania Homecare Association is participating in Bring the Vote Home, a nationwide project to help senior, disabled and home-bound Americans who have difficulty traveling to polling places during the 2012 election.

The campaign is being launched in partnership with other state home health care associations and national home health leaders to engage the nation’s 12 million home health care patients – including 3.5 million Medicare beneficiaries – via voter and absentee ballot registration initiatives.

I urge lawmakers to hear our voices and consider the unique value home care provides to beneficiaries – as well as the extensive savings it allows for Medicare – and to support the home care population and the highly trained professional care-giving teams who are dedicated to treating our nation’s seniors in their homes.