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Home Visitation and Health Care Reform
In 2008, Presidential Candidate Obama promised to make changes to the health care system in the United States. Several versions of health care reform have been proposed in the House and the Senate, but there are currently two versions of the health care reform bill, H.R. 3590 and H.R. 3962, being considered. Both versions contain provisions for home visitation programs and more information will be available once a final version has been drafted.

For more information on the two bills being considered, visit: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/399/hsr-hr3962-hr3590-comparison-chart.pdf .

In the News
Both H.R. 3590 and H.R. 3962 contain provisions for home visitation programs. The differences between the two versions of these bills are highlighted in a report from The Pew Center on the States, entitled “Federal Health Care Reform Legislation- Home Visiting Summary” Below is a brief summary of the document.

H.R. 3590- The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established a home visiting grant program for states administered through the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Health Resources Services Administration as a new section of the Title V Maternal and Child Health block grant program. It would:

1. Provide $1.5 billion over 5 years

2. Requires states to complete a needs assessment to identify communities that have few quality home visitation programs and are at risk for poor maternal and child health as a pre-condition for receiving the home visiting funds.

H.R. 3962- The Affordable Health Care for America Act contains two components related to home visiting:

1. State grant program which authorizes $750 million over 5 years for a state-based grant program administered through the DHHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF) for quality home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children.

2. Medicaid provision- Amends section 1905 of the Social Security Act and establishes optional coverage of “nurse home visiting services” under Medicaid and CHIP.