A transitional-care model developed in Denver and on the Western Slope has become a $250 million pilot program in the latest health care bill produced by the Senate Finance Committee, thanks to a push by Sen. Michael Bennet.
Under the program, hospitals and communities across the country would be able to apply to the Department of Health and Human Services for three-year grants to develop transitional care, which can significantly reduce hospital re-admission rates.
Reformers say the program could help curb the country’s runaway health care costs by expanding on a national level innovative models that use nurses to track recovering patients at home, making sure they take medication and catching problems early.
Bennet used hospitals in Denver and Grand Junction in developing the legislation, which was eventually included in the Finance Committee bill released Wednesday.
