MA Experts View Harris’ ‘Medicare at Home’ Proposal With Hope, Reservation

In a late-stage effort to pump up her health care platform and potentially sway senior voters and their "sandwich generation" caregivers, Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled a plan to bolster the Medicare program by introducing a “Medicare at Home” benefit while also adding hearing and vision coverage to traditional, fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare. The proposal drew a great deal of optimism from senior advocates and industry observers, but its potential $40 billion price tag caused supporters and skeptics alike to question whether funding such a benefit is truly feasible.

If enacted, it would become a required offering of Medicare Advantage plans, which may be well-positioned to maximize such an opportunity, industry experts tell AIS Health, a division of MMIT.

According to an outline of the plan, which was unveiled by the Democratic presidential nominee and running mate Tim Walz on Oct. 8, the benefit would for the first time cover home care for all seniors and those with disabilities on Medicare who need it. The new services covered by Medicare would include at-home assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) performed by home health aides, personal care attendants or direct care workers, and it would be tailored to fit seniors’ long-term care needs. It also seeks to improve wages for care workers.