The Senate Finance Committee is slated to hold a hearing Tuesday on legislation aimed at improving care for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions. The Creating High-Quality Results and Outcomes Necessary to Improve Chronic (CHRONIC) Care Act of 2017 was introduced April 6 and has 14 bipartisan co-sponsors. Witnesses at the hearing include providers, federal lawmakers and health think-tank staff.
Some of the bill's provisions include allowing Medicare Advantage plans to tailor coordination and coverage for specific patient types, such as those with diabetes. It also would allow accountable care organizations to use money to help patients with chronic conditions obtain primary-care services. Another major provision widens use of telehealth among Medicare beneficiaries.
"The CHRONIC Care Act would streamline care coordination and strengthen treatments for our seniors," Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said in a joint statement. "This hearing will give members the opportunity to examine the CHRONIC Care Act and highlight policies that, if enacted, will help patients struggling with chronic illnesses."