Maine Senator Calls Out Medicare Spending By Offering $11 Bath Mat Solution—And People Are Nodding Hard

Maine Independent Senator Angus King made a valuable point about Medicare spending during a Senate hearing, using an $11 bath mat to call out the agency's backwards thinking.

Last year, King and Rhode Island Democratic Senator Seth Magaziner introduced the bicameral Stand Strong for Medicare Act, legislation aimed at improving safety for older Americans by making fall-prevention equipment eligible for reimbursement under Medicare Part B.

At the time, they noted that "each year, 14 million older Americans experience falls, resulting in 3 million emergency room visits and 39,000 tragic deaths" and that "falls are the leading cause of injury for adults aged 65 and older, with non-fatal falls costing our health care system $80 billion annually."

The legislation "provides a preventive approach to protect seniors from these risks, allowing them to age safely and reduce the need for emergency and long-term care interventions." The legislators pointed out that seniors "can reduce their risk of falling through basic home modifications, daily exercises, and other simple precautions."

This week, King, co-founder of the Congressional Task Force on Falls Prevention, held up a cheap bath mat during a hearing to highlight a common sense approach that current Medicare spending doesn't account for at all:

"This is an $11 bath mat. I'm the Johnny Appleseed of bath mats. Whenever I go to see somebody, and they don't have one of these in their shower, I buy one and send it to 'em. Here's the proposal, though. Why doesn't CMS [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] send one of these to every Medicare recipient in the country?"

"I did a back-of-the-envelope calculation; it would pay for itself in about nine months. This is 11 bucks. I suspect if CMS bought 'em by the millions, they could get a deal. It would have a noticeable effect on the number of falls. A very simple idea."

"Right now, Medicare will pay for a broken hip, but they won't pay for a grab bar in your shower. That's just insane."

"One of the things we need to do is authorize Medicare to get much more active in the prevention area and to provide things like this."

You can hear what he said in the video below.

People loved King's approach.

King and Magaziner's Stand Strong for Medicare Act has been endorsed by the National Council on Aging, Ocean State for Independent Living, LeadingAge RI, and Senior Agenda Coalition Rhode Island.

King has been firm that "when it comes to falls prevention, the solution can start at home with the installation of grab bars, handrails, bath mats and other quick modifications." He previously said his “commonsense legislation will provide older Americans with the freedom to stand strong and stay safe.”

Indeed, this proposal would require Medicare Part B to cover a range of fall-prevention equipment prescribed by licensed health care providers, including grab bars, non-slip mats, shower chairs, bed rails, and similar safety devices.

The legislation would also direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to publish an annual list of approved equipment, ensuring Medicare keeps pace with evolving best practices and advances in fall-prevention technology.