HCAOA has retained the services of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney to represent the organization and HCAOA members on federal legislative and advocacy initiatives.
 
A national, bi-partisan advocacy team with extensive government relations experience, HCAOA‘s team at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney will be  led by Michael Strazzella. Strazzella discussed advocacy plans with the HCAOA Board during a recent strategic planning session. 

Strazzella has experience in federal government relations, legislative strategy, political action committees, coalition building and more. His practice is focused on the health industry. Adept at navigating relationships, Strazzella works closely with Congress and the Executive Branch—including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Customs—to create effective lobbying strategies.

​The HCAOA Washington Chapter has an open seat for Secretary on the Chapter Board, as well as positions on the Chapter Legislative Committee. 

​Change happens when people share their stories. HCAOA’s National Home Care Advocacy Day on March 29 is your opportunity to share stories about how your clients benefit from the home care services you provide with your federal legislators in Washington, D.C. 

HCAOA encourages members to participate in one of the home care industry’s largest annual studies, the annual HCP Benchmarking Survey.
 
Survey participants will receive a free digital copy of the 2023 Benchmarking Report and 50 percent off a hard copy, if they complete the survey by January 31. 
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​Register now for the third annual Home Care Pulse Growth Summit on February 15 and 16. The virtual event will feature home care leaders sharing their knowledge, experience, and advice on the industry and expectations for 2023—including HCAOA’s CEO, Vicki Hoak. 

Arizona's Individual Income Tax Withholding Form (Arizona Form A-4) has been updated to reflect lower individual income tax rates. Every Arizona employer is required to make this form available to its employees by January 31, 2023. 

​The HCAOA Georgia Chapter has worked for several years promoting the need for rate increases for the home & community-based service (HCBS) providers that serve the Medicaid Elderly and Disabled Waiver Programs. While we have seen increases in the SFY 2022 and SFY 2023 budgets, we recognize that the reimbursement rates for these services still are not sufficient to allow providers to cover all costs as they serve elderly and disabled Georgians.

​The West Virginia Direct Care Task Force, an initiative of AARP-West Virginia and the Department of Health and Human Services, has been working to develop legislative and regulatory recommendations to increase the state’s direct-care workforce, and improve recruitment and retention.

​The HCAOA Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. has been set and all members are encouraged to come to the nation’s Capital to talk with their member of Congress about how important home care is to America’s growing elderly population and people with disabilities.  
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has released the preliminary 2023 Fee Schedule for the Community Care Network. The rates on the schedule will not be effective until February 1, 2023. The current fee schedule will remain in effect until then. This schedule includes reimbursement rates for home care services.
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​The annual HCP Benchmarking Survey is now open and HCAOA encourages members to participate. As one of the home care industry’s largest annual studies, the HCP Benchmarking Survey seeks to gather data from as many home care agencies as possible to provide an accurate picture of the home care industry’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities. 

​New York State has enacted a new law requiring employers to list a range of compensation in advertisements for job, promotion, or transfer opportunities beginning September 17, 2023.
 
According to HCAOA partner Polsinelli, the new state law applies to all remote positions that can or will be performed, even in part, in New York state. New York joins California, Colorado, and Washington in imposing similar new pay transparency requirements upon employers. 

​For HCAOA members serving veterans and contracted with TriWest in Region 4 (the western U.S. only), TriWest reports that 2/3 of providers are still not enrolled in electronic payment. 

Worker contributions to the WA Cares Fund, the state’s new long-term care insurance program, start this summer. Beginning July 1, 2023, home care agencies must collect WA Cares premiums from employees' wages and report their wages and hours at the end of each quarter. Reporting will begin October 2023 and will follow the same payment process as Paid Leave.