Washington, D.C. — Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Congressman Peter Roskam (R-IL), and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA),  released the following statement after the reintroduction of H.R. 3263.  The bill extends the Independence at Home Medical Practice Demonstration Program (IAH) from five to seven years. IAH has proven successful in cutting costs while providing valuable increases in benefits to high-need beneficiaries.

“This is a commonsense program that will help our most vulnerable senior beneficiaries and taxpayers,” said Congressman Burgess said. “Under IAH, high-need patients will continue receiving individual care in the comfort of their homes while providers at hospitals, emergency rooms, and nursing homes are able to spend more free time with their patients. IAH is improving the quality of care and its provider groups are generating significant savings.”

“IAH has a proven track record of keeping people in their homes and helping them get the care they need, all while saving taxpayers money,” said Congresswoman Dingell. “I’m pleased to be working with my colleagues in a bipartisan manner to extend this critical program for two more years.”

“The IAH demonstration focuses on reducing costs where they are the highest and improving care for those with the greatest need, all while protecting the viability of Medicare,” said Congressman Roskam. “The services provided through this demonstration save taxpayer dollars and ensure Americans have convenient access to the care they need.”

“The IAH demonstration improves access, quality of care, and quality of life for our most ill Medicare patients while saving taxpayer dollars,” said Congressman Thompson. “It’s an important program that works and this bipartisan bill will make sure seniors are able to keep taking advantage of it.”

Created in 2010, IAH provides home-based primary care to high-need Medicare beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions, helping them to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and nursing home admission. The types of beneficiaries enrolled in IAH currently account for the majority of Medicare costs, and are expected to account for increasing costs over the next 10 years.

In the program’s first year alone, there were both increases in the continuity of care for Medicare beneficiaries and an estimated $25 million in savings. In 2015, the program was extended for an additional two years with bipartisan support. H.R. 3263 builds upon the prior successes of the program’s first five years both by continuing the demonstration program for beneficiaries and by allowing providers to enroll additional beneficiaries in the demonstration.