​Last year, a bill (H.B. 1120) was passed and signed into law in Indiana that included a passthrough mandate requiring 70% of Medicaid reimbursement rates to be allocated to caregiver wages. Exactly what is included in that 70% has not yet been determined by the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and will be crucial to the bill’s ultimate impact on home care providers in Indiana. HCAOA, the Indiana Association for Home & Hospice Care (IAHHC) and other industry partners worked diligently this session to find a legislative avenue to repeal and address the impact of this proposed passthrough. Despite strong support from key lawmakers to include this language in the budget, it was ultimately not adopted in the final version of the budget. We have now turned our attention to FSSA and the executive branch to urge them to adopt language that will minimize the impact on providers. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to advocating for home care providers nationwide, HCAOA is actively compiling member feedback and conducting research to support comprehensive responses to multiple new Requests for Information (RFIs) and regulatory review opportunities recently launched by federal agencies. 

​The Washington State Department of Health Home Care Aide program has extended the emergency rules regarding alternative certification timelines for individuals pursuing certification as home care aides, in response to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The department acknowledges that many long-term care workers continue to face challenges in obtaining certification, and this extension is essential to protect public health and safety, as well as to support the long-term care workforce and help prevent staffing shortages.

​Earlier this year, the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) issued a plan to the legislature to transfer responsibility for registration and oversight of home care agencies from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Public Health (DPH). OPM contracted with Corcoran Consulting Group, LLC, to conduct research and to assist with the development of the Plan. The HCAOA Connecticut Chapter invites all members to an exclusive webinar on Wednesday, May 14 featuring Guy Tommasi and Holly Haringa of Corcoran Consulting Group, who will provide unique insight into the report's development from the consultant’s perspective and discuss their role, experience, work and recommendations, as well as the status of the report and plan, its fiscal impact and the next steps.

Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries who are Black, Hispanic, or Asian American/Pacific Islander (AA/PI) receive higher rates of preventive health screenings and primary care services and lower rates of avoidable inpatient services compared to similar beneficiaries in traditional fee-for-service Medicare, according to an analysis released last week by Berkeley Research Group (BRG). Using Medicare claims and MA encounter data, BRG professionals also found that enrollees in special needs plans often had the greatest advantage over similar enrollees in traditional Medicare.

All home care providers are invited to attend the HCAOA Washington Chapter Conference on Wednesday, June 4th from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at The Centennial Hotel in Spokane, WA – the first time at this beautiful location just steps from the Spokane River and Centennial Trail.

August 5
Reimagining Scheduling - Exploring the Why, How, and Future Steps
When effectively put into practice, improving the home care scheduling can make a significant impact, leading to reduced staff turnover, increased client satisfaction, and accelerated agency growth! Learn strategies for immediate improvements and long-term success, including using AI! 

​Learn More and Register
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The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) has issued an updated draft of proposed amendments to Regulation 61-122, Standards for Licensing In-Home Care Providers, after receiving substantial feedback from the home care industry prior to publication of a Notice of Proposed Regulation (NPR), including from the HCAOA South Carolina Chapter. Click here to view the updated draft.   

A team of researchers at Cornell found in a qualitative study that artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in home care, but many frontline workers, such as personal care aides, home health aides and certified nursing assistants, are generally unaware of that.

The HCAOA Connecticut Chapter is holding a webinar on Wednesday, May 14 to discuss the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management report plan to transfer registration and oversight of home care agencies from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Public Health. 

​Photo Credit: VA

According to the 2024 HCAOA Member Survey, more than 1/3 of agencies serve Veterans, and currently the Department of Veterans Affairs serves approximately 110,000 Veterans with Parkinson’s disease, who can receive a wide range of care and services including comprehensive medical services to specialized treatments, physical therapy and support for their caregivers. For one group of Veterans at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System, their Parkinson’s care includes a regular check-in to see what they’ve built with their latest Lego set.

Last week, the Hawaii legislature finalized their 2025-2026 state budget, and it has been sent to Governor Josh Green for his signature. After preliminary review of the budget, HCAOA believes there is funding in the budget to cover the Milliman rate study recommendations at the “low” scenario. Earlier this session, HCAOA submitted testimony in support of HB 702, a bill that would have funded the rate study at the high scenario, but it stalled in the Senate.

​A Special Report by McKnights Home Care
 
If there is one lesson Andrea Cohen learned after more than two decades of running a home care company, it is that supporting family caregivers is foundational to quality care. “I would say I have three customers,” Andrea told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “One is the client themselves, one is the professional caregiver and the other is the family caregiver. About 95% of the time, we were actually dealing with the family caregiver.”

​The Washington State Department of Health is launching a new licensing system for all health professionals, the Health Enforcement and Licensing Management System (HELMS), effective April 29, 2025. HELMS is designed to create efficiencies, improve user experience, streamline processing, strengthen data access, and reduce paper-based activities.