Legislation Aims to Reduce Falls Among Medicare Recipients

The Stopping Addiction & Falls for the Elderly (SAFE) Act, a bipartisan bill before Congress, could soon make it easier for Medicare recipients to get screened for the risk of falling.

Sponsors of the legislation say they have two main objectives:

• Lowering the risk of falls among seniors through early detection and preventive care.

• Reducing dependence on opioids by encouraging non-drug pain management after falls.

How it would work

Under the bill, Medicare beneficiaries could receive a no-cost fall risk assessment from a licensed physical or occupational therapist during their Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. These professionals are trained to identify factors such as changes in mobility, balance issues, hazards in the home and cognitive decline, all of which can contribute to falls.

The bill also directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to collect and report national data on falls and related treatments. This data could help shape prevention strategies and guide future funding decisions.

The measure has drawn praise from a wide range of advocacy and professional groups, including the American Physical Therapy Association, the American Occupational Therapy Association and the National Association of Rehab Providers & Agencies.

Why prevention matters

Falls are a major cause of injury and death among older adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in four older Americans fall each year, and falling once doubles the chances of falling again.

Every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. Each year, accidental falls among older adults result in 3 million emergency room visits and 1 million hospital stays. Average hospitalization costs $30,000, and falls rank as the fifth-highest category of personal health care spending. Older-adult falls cost $50 billion annually, with Medicare and Medicaid covering 75% of those costs.

Falls can trigger a chain of negative outcomes for older adults — from broken bones and loss of independence to long-term opioid use. Hospital stays and surgeries are often followed by prescriptions for pain medications, which can carry significant risks, including dependence, side effects and dangerous interactions with other drugs.

What it means for Medicare recipients

If the SAFE Act becomes law, Medicare recipients could expect:

• Free annual screenings for fall risk as part of their wellness visits.

• Earlier intervention to address balance or mobility issues before a serious injury occurs.

• More non-drug treatment options for pain management.

• Potentially fewer hospital visits and lower out-of-pocket costs related to falls.

The takeaway

Separate versions of the SAFE Act have been introduced in the House and Senate. To date, there have been no hearings on the two measures, and with the end of the session approaching, they may not be heard until next year.

Still, if signed into law, these bills could help America's seniors avoid one of the most common injuries among people in their 70s and older.