HCTAA - Making a Difference in Home Care
 Whether it is urging Congress to support increased funding and reimbursement for home care and telehealth technology or through its extensive writings about the industry, the Home Care Technology Association of America (HCTAA) is at the forefront of what is happening in home care technology.
Large parts of the world are seeing their population shift as people live longer and birth rates decline. The US is beginning to experience the effects of the 77 million retiring baby boomers and their tremendous impact on the nation's health care system, resulting in the need for both short- and long- term home care solutions. To adequately handle this growth, home care will need to increasingly rely on technology to provide greater efficiencies and lower health care costs, while simultaneously improving quality and access to care. HCTAA, an affiliate of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice, provides a voice within Congress and health care for the growing home care technology industry. HCTAA's goal is to increase the use of technology and telehealth in home health care.
We invite you to learn more about HCTAA by touring this website and reading our accomplishments.
In its short history, HCTAA is actively involved in raising home care technology issues before Congress and health care audiences nationwide. In fact, HCTAA has been directly involved in securing $3 million in additional funding for home health demonstrations projects and related telehealth topics as highlighting the needs in home care within the public and private sectors.
HCTAA is a part a coalition urging Congress to approve $10 million in appropriations for telehealth. The US Senate will consider this funding request some time next week, probably July 18 or 19. There is an important opportunity for HCTAA members and those interested in furthering home care technology to participate in making this happen. Please call your Senators ASAP and let them know that you support full funding for telehealth activities in FY 2007 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.
This will only take a couple minutes of your time, but it will do so much for our cause. This joint effort has generated over 530 signatories on letters sent to key Senators, but we need you to call your Senators and urge them to urge Senators Specter and Harkin to include $14 million in the Senate Appropriations bill for telehealth. Last year, the Senate initially provided $14 million for telehealth, but this figure was reduced to $7 million in the final appropriations bill that was signed into law.
Hearing from YOU will show the Senate how essential this funding is to the long-term sustainability of telehomehealth projects, improving access in underserved areas of the country, and addressing critical clinical shortages that are occurring throughout the U.S. in both rural and urban areas. |
