Papers with Inflation Reduction Act and US flag.

A home care provider group expressed enthusiasm Monday over the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that offers sweeping environmental and healthcare reform measures.

“Older Americans and their families are facing significant challenges in accessing the care and services they need to age well, that is, to remain independent, safe and healthy — a situation intensified by inflation,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, in a statement to McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “The Inflation Reduction Act, which would allow the federal government to negotiate prices of select prescription drugs and also cap the amount older adults pay for some out-of-pocket drug costs, is a welcome step to the larger goal of fixing our country’s neglected and insufficient system of long-term services and supports.”

Sloan also commented on the positive impact of the environmental measures in the bill, which the House is expected to pass Friday.

“While the negative impact of climate change on older adults does not often make headlines, people age 65 and older are increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather disasters, poor air quality, and excessive heat or cold,” she said. “These vulnerabilities are too often overlooked by local and state public health departments, first responders, providers and society, according to research findings from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston. Reducing greenhouse gasses and changing America’s approach to acquiring energy, under the Inflation Reduction Act, will help to limit the ferocity and quantity of climate-related emergencies and disasters faced by older adults in the years to come.”

The legislation, passed by a vote of 51 to 50 with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote, for the first time would allow the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs. It also would cap the price of insulin at $35 for Medicare enrollees. (Republicans blocked inclusion of a provision that would require a $35 monthly cap on the cost of insulin in the private market.) The $370 billion clean energy and climate package is the largest climate investment in U.S. history.

Still not everyone in the home care community was thrilled with the bill in its final form. The National PACE Association was disappointed that the relief for Medicare Part D costs included in the bill excludes participants in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).

“We are more than pleased that Congress appears close to passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes provisions to reduce Part D prescription burdens for Medicare beneficiaries,” said Shawn Bloom, president and CEO of the National PACE Association, in a statement. “However, this legislation sadly leaves out older adults receiving care in PACE. We urge Congress to pass the PACE Part D Choice Act, which we are confident will help Congress achieve its goal of providing cost reductions to all individuals covered by Medicare.”