Founder’s Note: Mark Kimsey, March 10, 2014

We can all identify with the perils of not feeling well.  Perhaps a recent bout with a bad cold or the flu reminds us all where we prefer to be when we are ill, on the couch, or in bed with a remote control in hand, the refrigerator stocked with our favorite comfort foods and the thermostat set on a temperature that counter balances whatever has made us feel bad.  Armed with our special blankets and our favorite chicken soup, we battle and ultimately beat our illness by digging in where we feel most comfortable.

As we age, the battles we face with illness are no different.  Throughout the course of our lives, we will choose to be in the comfort of our own home— especially when we are sick.  In 2014, as a part of the Affordable Care Act, the first cut in a series of dramatic cuts was implemented on healthcare providers who offer home based healthcare to millions of Americans every year.  If the remaining cuts are issued, these services will be limited severely or eliminated altogether.  The undeniable flaw in this plan is that people who are denied these services will be forced to seek care in alternative environments that will be exponentially more expensive for both the patient and the medical community.  Home based services are not only great environments for healing, but they also cost a fraction of comparable care in skilled nursing, assisted living, or hospital facilities.  Cutting costs to home based services raises the cost of healthcare for all Americans.

Aging Americans are more involved in their healthcare choices today than in any other time in the history of our nation.  We can all agree that cost efficient care in our homes makes more sense than expensive care in an uncomfortable environment.  Take one minute today and visit the website of your congressional representative.  Find the “email me” section and let them know that you want cuts to home based services to stop.  This step takes less than one minute and is critical in protecting services that we all deserve access to.