On September 26, 2017, the Senate passed the Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017. The CHRONIC Care Act amends Title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to, among other things:
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Extend the Independence at Home (IAH) demonstration program, allowing seniors with multiple complex and extensive chronic conditions to receive specialized care at home;
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Allow Medicare Advantage plans to tailor coordination and benefits to specific patient groups, instead of requiring uniform benefits; and
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Expand the use of telehealth services in multiple areas.
The legislation, which has received bipartisan support, passed by unanimous consent in the Senate. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that enacting the legislation would reduce direct spending for Medicare and Medicaid by $217 million over the 2018-2022 period, and would have no significant effect on total direct spending over the 2018-2027 period.
A one-page overview of the CHRONIC Care Act is available here. The text of the legislation is available here. The preliminary CBO report is available here.
