WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes and long term care facilities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, released a statement regarding the introduction of the Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act.
The statement is attributable to Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL:
"We applaud Representatives Courtney, DelBene, Estes, and Glenn Thompson for introducing this important, bipartisan legislation today. The three-day hospital stay rule causes too many seniors who need follow-up care in a skilled nursing facility to be shackled with out-of-pocket costs in the thousands because they do not qualify for Medicare coverage. For years we have advocated to eliminate this confusing and devastating policy barrier.
“The waiver of this requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency has benefitted thousands of Medicare beneficiaries and demonstrated that eliminating this policy can work. Now it is time this issue was fixed permanently. We greatly appreciate that this legislation will count observation stays toward the three-day stay requirement, ultimately helping our patients receive the quality care they deserve without worrying about how they're going to pay for it."
ABOUT AHCA/NCAL
The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 14,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers, and homes for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit
www.ahcancal.org.