Home health care stocks fall after Senate inquiry

As a resident in the State of Tennessee, this whole Medicare and Medicaid system is corrupt from the Top, down. Who suffers, the $8 per hour Caregiver and most importantly, the patient, who would rather stay in their own home, as opposed to being warehoused in a Nursing home.

As an overseer in my 96-year old grandmother's care, I found myself, nearly on a daily basis of "connecting-the-dots" for these licensed providers, meaning.., the physician, home health agency (yes, Amedisys), TennCare's R.N. Case Manager, hospital discharge planning, down to the Durable Medical Equipment providers. These professionals poorly communicate, if at all, about the changes in a patient's condition. No respect is given to the $8 an hour Caregiver's assessment; and the primary responsible family overseer, barely gets some respect; but only if their educational and communication skills are on par with these providers.

This article just typifies the routine practices of Home Health Agencies, hospitals (especially), DME providers down to physicians. Basically, for all of these service providers, it boils down to one thing.., capitalize upon any and every treatment modality for the patient "focused" condition, whether they need it or not; because its a "them (meaning.., Medicare & Medicaid) versus us" disposition.

Are these providers engaging in criminal activity or taking advantage of lapses in regulation? Yes and No. These providers are fighting for survival.., their jobs, and way of life, by any means necessary. Then who's to blame? Nepotistic States, the federal regulatory rule-makers, and the king-pins themselves, antiquated thinking, blasphemous, grandstanding and electorate point pander politicians! The politicians don't have a Dammn clue on how the day-to-day life-cycle of health care delivery is ran. For example, in the State of Tennessee, I applied for "HCB Waiver Program"about 2-years ago for my grandmother to get in-home personal attendant services, which is paid through the Medicaid program (subsidized by the federal government), if the applicant financially qualifies. It took about three months before she was approved. Part of the program also pays for minor home modifications, i.e., building a wheel chair ramp. About one month ago, nearly two years from application, TENN Care finally installed the wheel chair ramp. Now, one week ago, I had to make the painful decision to place my grandmother in the nursing home, because TENN Care only would provide a maximum of 7-hours of Caregiver service, 5-days a week.

But before then, each time my grandmother had a doctor's appointment, I had to meet her caregiver at home to literally pick my grandmother up, carry her up and down steps, to put her into the car. I'm 54-years old, with one bad knee. Complaining always went on deaf ears. You always got the typical story.., well, you know TENN Care, its a process. I contacted my federal representative, "Phil Roe," his office writes back and says its a State of TENN issue. Well, nobody's home at TENN Care. You contact their Patient Advocate, and you get a recorded message, and maybe a call-back in about a week.

We've got people on payrolls in the State of Tennessee (top tiered) professionals that are paper pushers, waiting on someone "up above in rank" to tell them what and when to do it, with no apparent authority to make on the spot decisions.

Here's another example of our fine system in the State of Tennessee. Durable Medical Equipment providers at times, deliver wrong size items, or not the product that you requested. You contact your TENN Care Case manager and report it (the family member or caregiver) does not have the authority to order DME products, it must be approved; you instruct your Case Manager to have the DME provider to pick the products up. However, you are informed that once the order is approved and delivered, the DME provider cannot take it back. As a result, I've got stored in my home, about twelve boxes of adult diapers and bed pads. For the sake of argument, let's just say one box of adult diapers with eight to one box is billed to MediCaid @ $14 x 8 = $112 per box (12) boxes equals $1,344 ! Now, can you imagine just how many other wrong purchase orders that I am told.., "can't be returned, once approved and ordered...? Remember the $8 per hour caregiver?

I got another one for you. What happens when a TennCare Case manager orders a $3,000 motorized recliner chair from an "unknown" DME provider, and the chair only works for about two years. You look everywhere on the chair to see who delivered it, but no stamp or marking of the vendor. You contact the TENN Care Case manager and inquire about the unknown DME provider, but she tells you, "it wasn't ordered on my watch; I have to get back with you on that, because it could be any number of TENN Care's DME providers. Well, glad I didn't hold my breath, I'm still waiting on an answer.

Nobody wants to connect the dots. Everyone in the food-chain is always waiting in the wings from a higher authority to tell them what to do. To maintain employment, and for fear of being "blacklisted" in their circle of comfort, no one will take personal responsibility to say, and do what is right. Our nation's leaders, both in public and private sectors, have successfully transformed our work force into a bunch of faceless followers, with no backbone.

I welcome all comments.