Barry Cargill, guest writer Published 10:03 a.m. ET July 27, 2020

Barry Cargill(Photo: Courtesy photo)

More than two months into the unprecedented health crisis brought on by COVID-19, Michigan has been among the hardest hit states. With more than 6,000 total deaths across our state and over 80,000 cases, our states fight against the virus is far from over but there are glimmers of hope. Death rates have declined over the last four weeks, a sign that weve successfully flattened the curve and saved lives.

This development is a testament to the resilient spirit of Michiganders across our state. From business owners who have made difficult decisions to close their doors to front-line healthcare providers who have fought tirelessly against a virus whose pathology is still little understood, all have made important and indispensable sacrifices.

As the president and CEO of the Michigan HomeCare & Hospice Association, Im also proud of the critical role the home health community has played in supporting patients, front-line home health workers, and the communities we serve across Michigan.

Since COVID-19 began rapidly spreading across our state earlier this year, home healthcare providers have worked to protect the vulnerable patient populations who rely on our services namely those who are elderly, suffer from disabilities, or cope with multiple chronic conditions. Since the coronavirus poses severe risks to our patients, weve taken unprecedented steps to protect them and their families from the virus including increased testing, expansion of personal protective equipment (PPE) utilization, and infection control measures which can reduce the possibility of viral transmission.

While we have taken pivotal steps to protect our patients and deliver care in the comfort and safety of the home setting, we continue to encounter barriers to care that often prevent us from reaching our patients at a time when they need home health the most.

For starters, it is essential that the federal government stabilize the home healthcare delivery system, which currently faces existential financial difficulties caused by COVID-19. Since the start of this pandemic, home healthcare agencies have experienced precipitous revenue declines as exceeding 20 percent.

Although this enormous loss was mitigated by emergency funds allocated by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the suspension of a twopercent sequestration cut, more help is needed.

To ensure home health agencies can survive the duration of the present health emergency, additional federal funds would prevent agency closures and staff layoffs while supporting continuity of care for patients.

Along with providing the financial resources necessary to maintain our operations, Medicare regulators and federal lawmakers must also move to ensure home health patients can receive care without risking potentially deadly exposure to COVID-19. This is where telehealth and telephonic virtual visits can play a vital role.

By allowing flexibility for certified home health clinicians to provide care through virtual visits, person-to-person contact can be reduced, allowing providers to better and more safely monitor patients without risking potential viral spread. Moreover, the expansion of Medicare coverage for telehealth-based home care can also alleviate much of the pressure currently being placed on other areas of our healthcare system, such as hospitals and physician offices.

Finally, another, perhaps more important way federal officials can help safeguard home health providers and our patients is to increase access to PPE. As mentioned earlier, home health agencies have expanded the use of PPE, especially in the patient home setting where person-to-person contact is difficult to avoid.

Given the demand across all healthcare sectors, it is unrealistic to expect massive influxes of protective equipment in the near-term. However, Medicare regulators and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) can aid the situation by providing guidance on how best to utilize PPE and ways to access needed equipment in a timely manner.

Taking the steps outlined above will be paramount towards stabilizing the home healthcare sector and ensuring our providers can continue playing a key role in our response to COVID-19. As Michiganders and Americans across the country begin to emerge from isolation and accustom themselves to the new normal, our leaders in Washington must continue shoring up U.S. healthcare infrastructure and help reduce the possible impact of a resurgent virus.

Barry Cargill is president andCEO of the Michigan HomeCare & Hospice Association.

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Home healthcare patients, providers here in Michigan need federal support to overcome pandemic - Lansing State Journal