IV 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 550 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the Centers 
for Medicare & Medicaid Services developing a mobility metric to guide 
providers in preventing mobility loss among hospitalized older adults. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 23, 2023 
Mrs. HOUCHIN (for herself, Ms. SEWELL, and Mr. PENCE) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regard-
ing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services devel-
oping a mobility metric to guide providers in preventing 
mobility loss among hospitalized older adults. 
Whereas more than 54 million Americans today are 65 years 
old or older, and because 10,000 baby boomers are turn-
ing 65 years old each day, the overall number of older 
adults is expected to increase to more than 70 million by 
2030; 
Whereas, even before the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic, 
one-third of all hospitalized patients in the United States 
were at least 65 years old; 
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Whereas hospitalized older patients are mostly immobile dur-
ing their admittance, spending less than 43 minutes each 
day walking even if they were ambulatory when admitted 
to the hospital; 
Whereas hospitalized older patients that do not receive suffi-
cient mobility are at the greatest risk of experiencing 
negative health outcomes, such as sustaining muscle loss 
and weakness that could be long lasting, and even higher 
rates of death; 
Whereas restoring mobility is a goal for many, not necessarily 
all, hospitalized patients; 
Whereas more than one-third of adults aged 70 years old and 
older are discharged from a hospital with a major, new 
functional disability not present on admission to the hos-
pital; 
Whereas one year after discharge from a hospital, fewer than 
one-third of older adults who developed a hospital-ac-
quired functional disability have recovered to their pre- 
hospitalization function status; 
Whereas adults with a hospital-associated disability are three 
times more likely to be admitted to a nursing home; 
Whereas regular physical mobility during hospitalization is 
critical to preventing functional decline and frailty; 
Whereas mobility initiatives decrease hospital length of stay 
and overall cost of care, such as a 36-percent reduction 
in intensive care unit length of stay, a 33-percent reduc-
tion in overall hospital length of stay, a 46-percent reduc-
tion in the number of days on a ventilator, and a 30-per-
cent reduction in overall hospital costs; 
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Whereas mobility programs in acute care settings improve the 
likelihood that patients are discharged directly to their 
homes and bypass a skilled nursing facility; 
Whereas hospitals, physicians, and nurses are committed to 
delivering the best care for patients, but there are not 
current standardized methods of assessing or tracking 
patient mobility within hospitals, nor are there standard-
ized systems to measure adherence to individual hospital 
mobility protocols; 
Whereas current hospital reimbursement incentives designed 
to prevent patient ‘‘falls’’ unintentionally disincentive 
hospitals from mobilizing patients; 
Whereas prolonged periods of bed rest for older adults can 
cause loss of skeletal muscle, known as sarcopenia, reduc-
ing a person’s ability to carry out activities of daily liv-
ing; and 
Whereas the American Geriatrics Society made a series of 
mobility recommendations developed by geriatric leaders, 
physicians, and clinicians, such as that the Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services should develop consensus 
on standard methods to assess mobility and that the Fed-
eral Government should prioritize translational research 
in mobility assessment, quality measurement, and imple-
mentation programs led by the Agency for Healthcare 
Research and Quality, the National Institutes of Health 
and National Institute on Aging, the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, and the Administration on 
Aging: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services should— 
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(1) promote the development of stakeholder 
consensus on a mobility assessment that is validated 
and clinically meaningful to providers and patients; 
(2) develop a mobility quality measure that in-
centives hospitals, staff, and providers to actively in-
tervene to prevent mobility loss among hospitalized 
patients; and 
(3) develop a mobility quality measure that fo-
cuses on the most effective improvements in patient 
outcomes and takes into consideration avoiding addi-
tional onerous burdens on providers. 
Æ 
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