The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is launching a new licensing system for all health professionals and facilities in Washington on February 19. The WADOH is hosting three information sessions before the launch to share more information and preview what the system will look like for health professionals and facilities. Each session will have the same agenda, and attendees are invited to ask questions.

Don't miss out on the biggest home care event of the year - October 20-21 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas Hotel in Dallas, TX, for the 2025 HCAOA National Home Care Conference. Registration is open, and many have already taken advantage of the early-bird discounted rate. We’re expecting another record-breaking year of attendance, and we can’t wait to see you in Dallas!

​Jason Lee, HCAOA CEO, joined Jeff Wiberg, Founder of Family Resource Home Care, Clint Nobles, Founder & CEO of Home Care Ops, and Todd Austin, President & COO of Activated Insights, for the Home Care Ops CEO panel last week where they discussed how to set Resolutions That Stick. With Wiberg facilitating the dynamic discussion, Lee, Nobles, and Austin shared insights on setting annual plans and goals, developing metrics and assessing opportunities, and incentivizing strong performance. When Lee spoke about crisis management, he referenced his favorite hobby that he enjoys when the weather permits - riding his motorcycle! In the picture above, he is enjoying his hobby near Robbinsville, NC, on a road referred to as the Tail of the Dragon, which is famous for its 318 curves in 11 miles. Fortunately, his day job isn’t as dangerous!

HCAOA invites ALL members to participate in National Home Care Advocacy Day on Wednesday, April 9, in Washington, DC.

​HCAOA member Right at Home has partnered with PocketRN to support dementia patients through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) model. This collaboration offers Right at Home clients access to PocketRN's "virtual nurse for life" system, which provides continuous nurse-led education, coaching, monitoring, and support. It also allows Right at Home to offer respite care services, a feature of the GUIDE model.

A minimum wage increase to $16/hour in Nevada, which took effect in January 2024, has helped reduce turnover among home care workers, with the state’s home care workforce growing by 6.5% and 96% of workers being retained between December 2023 and April 2024. Additionally, Nevada raised its Medicaid reimbursement rate from $17.56 to $25 per hour to better support home care providers as the state’s aging population continues to grow.

​The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will launch a new licensing system during the third week of February 2025. During the transition, all licensing and credentialing systems will be unavailable in order to make the system upgrades.

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently updated the Medicaid eligibility standards for 2025, which reflects a 2.9% price increase between 2023 and 2024.

Congratulations to the HCAOA member franchise companies for their outstanding accomplishment in earning a place on Entrepreneur’s annual Franchise 500 rankings!

HCAOA submitted feedback to the Veterans Administration (VA) at the end of 2024 regarding the 2025 fee schedule. Moving forward, HCAOA will remind members to monitor the fee schedule on a weekly basis, as the VA has been known to adjust the fee schedule without directly notifying providers. We have recently been made aware of updates to the fee schedule in Ohio and Iowa.

HCAOA is excited to announce the 2025 Executive Committee of the HCAOA Board of Directors. This leadership team will continue to shape HCAOA's strategic direction and advocate for the advancement of home care services nationwide.

HCAOA knows members are often juggling many tasks at once. To ensure members have wider access to HCAOA’s educational offerings, the new On-Demand Video Library now features the unique webinar for home care recruiters from last month, as well as last fall’s wildly popular home care schedulers symposium. The library also includes several of the highest-rated breakout sessions from the 2024 National Home Care Conference.

Enginehire has been driven by the goal to revolutionize how home care agencies operate. They started with a vision to create an all-in-one solution that streamlines every aspect of agency management, from recruitment and onboarding to billing, scheduling, and marketing. Over the years, they’ve evolved by responding to the needs of their clients by adding AI-powered tools, an integrated caregiver rewards program, and offering full customization to meet the unique demands of each business. But as they continued to innovate, one thing became increasingly clear: agencies needed more than just software. They needed an App.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) reported that, due to staffing issues and the complexity of the technical requirements, it plans to delay until April 1, full implementation of the home care provider registry and data processing system.

A new study published in the JAMA Health Forum reveals that the Medicaid "unwinding" process, which resulted in the disenrollment of approximately 15% of beneficiaries since March 2023, has created significant barriers to accessing home care services for seniors. Researchers surveyed 843 community-dwelling seniors who lost or had to renew their Medicaid eligibility, finding that many reported cost-related delays or forgoing care, especially for dental and home health services. Additionally, about half of the respondents received no information about the unwinding process, and many faced difficulties navigating the renewal procedure. The study emphasizes the need for better outreach and support to help seniors retain Medicaid coverage and reduce care access barriers, particularly for those who lost coverage due to procedural issues.