Low Medicaid Rates Jeopardize Access, HHAC Vice President Writes

"Many home care agencies simply can't maintain services for Medicaid patients at current reimbursement levels," Chris Lee, vice president of the Home Care & Hospice Association of Colorado and the president of Colorado's oldest home-health provider, wrote recently in a letter to the editor of the Arvada Press.

"The Visiting Nurses Association of Colorado, of which I'm the president, has served Colorado for 130 years and remains committed to providing high quality care for aging Coloradans and people needing care due to an illness or disability," Lee added. "Home-based care helps people stay in their home longer and lowers healthcare costs for families and taxpayers alike. The Colorado Legislature would serve the state well by authorizing a more appropriate and adequate Medicaid reimbursement rate for home-based care this legislative session."

Lee's letter appears on Page 11 of the Jan. 30 edition.