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 Veterans Affairs Community Care Network contractor TriWest has announced that it isnow partnering with PGBA, which will replace WPS and CAQH in the claim process. HCAOA VA Council Chair Doug Robertson said there had been ongoing issues with WPS.  On Monday, President Biden signed an executive order creating a new White House task force led by Vice President Harris focused on promoting labor unions. The executive order directs the new task force to make recommendations within 180 days on how already existing federal policies and programs can be used to help workers organize and collectively bargain in the public and private sectors. The task force will also make recommendations on potential new policies and regulatory changes. The new HCAOA Policy and Regulatory Committee is currently working on position papers regarding a variety of issues, including information about labor unions’ impacts on HCAOA member agencies.
An organization’s scheduler or care coordinator helps to set the tone for every agency. Their effectiveness impacts all aspects of a company’s operations, but most importantly worker and client satisfaction. HCAOA is excited to announce an interactive webinar designed especially for schedulers - back by popular demand - on Wednesday, June 9 at 3:00p.m. ET.  Arizona Governor Doug Ducey recently signed Senate Bill 1377 after a push from Republican legislators to limit civil liability exposure for “Good Samaritans” who have worked to protect and provide for Arizonans during the COVID-19 health crisis. The new law provides a shield from civil liability for certain individuals and institutions that act in good faith to protect others from injury, death, or loss resulting from the pandemic. Read more  This week, HCAOA submitted comments to the Senate Aging Committee on the proposed Home and Community-Based Services Access Act of 2021, which would require home and community-based services to be covered under Medicaid.  Last week, the Appropriations Committee approved funding in the amount of $10 million in each of the next two fiscal years to reflect Medicaid rate increases to providers of home health and waiver services providers. After considering the federal share, according to the Office of Fiscal Analysis, providers will receive approximately $20 million in the aggregate each year. On Monday of this week, Governor Lamont issued his recommendations to the legislature for how $2.6 billion in federal funds received under the American Rescue Plan will be spent by the state over three years; the funding does not include additional money for Medicaid reimbursement to home care providers. Both the committee’s budget and the Governor’s plan require approval by the General Assembly. Meantime, HCAOA Connecticut thanks members who participated in last week’s annual Care at Home Days at the Capitol. The program, held virtually for the first time, was very successful with a number of members across the state participating. Members met with their state senators and representatives to discuss legislation and the impact of various policies on their business, caregivers and clients; the challenges facing their agencies; and to advocate for the home care industry.
On April 26, 2021, the initial set of data from the 2020 Census was released. Among all 50 states, 37 grew more slowly in the 2010s than in the previous decade, and three states lost population—the largest number of such states since the 1980s. The constitutionally mandated reapportionment of members of Congress based on the 2020 census indicates a reallocation of seven seats across various states—most notably, the first-ever loss of a seat for California.
 On April 12, 2021, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed two bills into law, legalizing the use and possession of recreational cannabis and allowing for the expungement of certain cannabis-related criminal records. With this development, New Mexico joins many other states that have legalized recreational cannabis for adults 21 and older. The use of cannabis for medicinal purposes was previously authorized in New Mexico by the Lynn and Erin Compassionate Use Act, which was passed in 2007. read more
 HCAOA and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice have teamed up with Polsinelli to provide a free home care industry legal update regarding the latest legislative and litigation-related developments. Representatives from each group will discuss the latest federal laws, updated regarding new Department of Labor initiatives, and updates on COVID-19 related safety protocols mandated by the federal or larger state governments. Join us for this free webinar on Thursday May 20 at 12:00p.m. ET.
CareAcademy Launches CAREer Path Initiative to Provides College Credit to Direct Care Workers4/28/2021  Yesterday, HCAOA Associate Member CareAcademy announced the launch of the “CAREer Path Initiative,” an all-encompassing program designed to address critical industry constraints and attract more workers into the home care profession. In addition to helping to accelerate new entrants to the field, the program will extend college credit to thousands of direct care workers as they complete professional training within the CareAcademy platform for no additional charge. The CAREer Path Initiative is launching in collaboration with CareAcademy’s core education partner, Southern New Hampshire University, and with support from national home care agency partners, including HCAOA.
 Earlier this month, President Biden announced that he intends to nominate Douglas L. Parker to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Mr. Parker is currently the chief of California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, commonly known as Cal/OSHA, a position he has held since September 2019. Mr. Parker previously served in the Department of Labor under the administration of President Obama as deputy assistant secretary for policy with the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and he was a member of the Biden-Harris transition team.
 Governor Jim Justice recently signed into law Senate Bill 272, the West Virginia Employment Law Workers Classification Act, which goes into effect on June 9, 2021. The legislation provides standards for determining who is an employee and who is an independent contractor under certain West Virginia statutes. Read more  Join the HCAOA Washington Chapter for an hour of regulatory and legislative updates from John Hilger of the Washington Department of Health and state lobbyist Leslie Emerick. They will discuss upcoming regulations, dealing with COVID, and legislative bills that affect the home care industry in Washington State. There will be a 20 minute question and answer session at the end. Register here.
 We invite you to join us at the Mindfulness for Healthcare Summit, May 20-23, 2021 hosted by Mindful Communications and featuring HCAOA Board Member, Andrea Cohen. This free virtual event will explore how mindfulness and compassion tools and practices support high-quality patient care and the well-being of healthcare workers, with a focus on promoting more just and inclusive healthcare opportunities. |
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