​It’s no secret: an agency's scheduler or care coordinator often sets the tone for the entire organization! Their professionalism and problem-solving skills impact all aspects of a home care company’s operations, most importantly caregiver and client satisfaction. This is why HCAOA is bringing back it’s wildly popular educational event for home care schedulers and care coordinators in 2022. Sign up your team to attend this popular interactive webinar featuring a panel of top veteran schedulers from across the country discuss the most common challenges they face every day and offer real-world tips and valuable solutions that they can apply in your agency starting today.

HCAOA is pleased to announce that alliantgroup has been named an exclusive partner for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and other tax incentives for member agencies. The ERC is the single largest tax incentive available to any business, and the cash refunds it generates in a single quarter can often eclipse a business’ total profits for an entire year. alliantgroup is the nation’s leading provider in credits and incentives and the decision to partner with them was based on what they have already delivered to members across the country. To date, alliantgroup has helped capture more than $60 million in federal refunds through the ERC to HCAOA members.​

​Officials across the U.S. tried different approaches in the past year to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates, seeking to blunt the spread of variants and preserve hospital capacity. For example, officials launched incentive programs, stressed personal responsibility, and deployed mobile vaccination units to encourage vaccine uptake.

​HCAOA’s Entrepreneur Academy is back by popular demand! This one-year, self-paced program provides a blend of online learning, weekly topical discussions, and coaching sessions to ensure that up-and-coming leaders and entrepreneurs develop an effective strategy for success. Great for those who are considering an MBA program, or those who completed MBA and want to go further, this course provides insight into behavioral tendencies and human interactions, enabling participants to have a deeper understanding of how they communicate and how to engage others for ultimate success.

​SCDHHS is accepting public comments through March 28 on its 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Waiver Amendments, which establish authority for the use of enhanced funding from Section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These amendments will address cost limits and services to account for impacts associated with COVID-19 and will make permanent the rate increases implemented under the recently approved Appendix K.

California’s Labor Commissioner has updated its FAQs concerning 2022 COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CPSL), answering some of employers’ more pressing questions about how this year’s more unique law operates. The answers are welcome news to many.

​No other state chapter quite packs a meeting agenda quite like the HCAOA Georgia Chapter! Register now for the upcoming full-day, full-agenda meeting on Thursday, May 19 at the Georgian Terrace Hotel. This meeting will feature updates from state regulators, national speakers, and state and federal advocacy leaders. It will fill up, so reserve your spot today!

​Blink - The Employee App, improves the employee experience in meaningful, everyday ways, giving caregivers mobile access to the communications, applications they need to do their job and feel part of the company. This creates a culture of productivity, retention, and conversations, where the frontline is engaged, gives feedback, and feels valued. 

​HCAOA state chapters are focused on improving access to and the delivery of home care throughout the country. Whether it’s expanding the scope of services that home care aides in Illinois can provide, or advocating for auto accident victims in Michigan, or developing recommendations for Ohio’s new home care license law, or fighting against a bill that would prohibit non-solicitation clauses in Connecticut, HCAOA’s chapters have been doing great work on behalf of all members! Here are some highlights…

HCAOA recently released a new report, “State of Home Care: Industry at a Crossroads,” which provides background information on our industry as well as our top policy priorities as we move forward. The report can be downloaded from the HCAOA website. Members can also request hard copies of the report by emailing info@hcaoa.org.  

​Experts say one of the keys to caregiver retention is recognition and acknowledgement of the important work they do. Michigan members, here is an opportunity to recognize your caregivers with a free concert by the Michigan State University (MSU) Wind Symphony on March 24 to honor healthcare workers who provided direct care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

​Last week, the Georgia House of Representatives approved HB 911, the SFY 2023 Budget. This House-approved budget includes $1,994,623 in state funds ($5,906,494 in total funds) to increase the Medicaid Elderly and Disabled reimbursement rate for all home and community-based providers.  The HCAOA Georgia Chapter had originally submitted an ask for a 3.0% rate increase at a meeting of the House Appropriations Health Subcommittee. Our testimony was one of more than twenty requests for funding above the original Governor’s budget, requests that in total created more than $150 million in additional requests for budget funding.  As a result of these many requests, we were advised to reduce our ask and direct its intent to cover the costs of fingerprinting that was added as a regulatory requirement in 2019.  That change was made, and our ask was resubmitted and eventually included in the budget.

After many hours spent advocating by HCAOA Connecticut Chapter members for higher, more equitable Medicaid reimbursement rates, the Department of Social Services has at long last updated the rates for several service providers, including Connecticut Home Care and Personal Care Assistant. Last week, the Department said it is continuing to work through the approval process for provider rate increases with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and its approval is anticipated very soon.