U.S. Senator Susan Collins was recognized today as one of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice’s “Home Care and Hospice Heroes” during the group’s “Heroes Event” in Washington, D.C. Senator Collins addressed the large group, which included a number of Maine home health and hospice providers, during the event.
“It is all of you on the front lines who are the true heroes,” noted Senator Collins speaking to the members. “The highly skilled services and compassionate care you provide has helped keep families together and enabled millions of our most frail and vulnerable older persons to avoid hospitals and nursing homes and stay just where they want to be – in the comfort and security of their own homes.”
Senator Collins also noted her opposition to President Bush’s recent budget proposal that would cut home health spending by $10 billion and would cut hospice payments by more than $1 billion over five years.
“Home health and hospice have consistently proven to be compassionate and cost-effective alternatives to institutional care. Additional deep cuts in spending for these programs would be completely counterproductive to our efforts to control overall health care costs,” noted Collins.
The National Association for Home Care and Hospice is the nation’s largest trade association that representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, home care aide organizations, and medical equipment providers.
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