 On Monday, May 10, Governor Brian Kemp signed HB 81 approving the SFY 2022 budget that will become effective July 1, 2021. This approved budget contains a 10% rate increase for home & community-based services provided under the Medicaid Elderly and Disabled Waiver Programs. This budget approval culminates extensive efforts by home & community-based providers throughout the entire legislative session. Your HCAOA Georgia Chapter was a leading champion of the 10% reimbursement rate increase for all home and community-based providers that serve Elderly and Disabled Medicaid Waiver Program recipients across the state. The HCAOA Georgia Chapter and our entire industry thanks the Governor, and members of the House and Senate for supporting these vulnerable Georgians.
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 On Monday, President Biden said in a speech that Americans collecting unemployment benefits under the American Rescue Plan must accept "suitable" employment when offered, or they will lose their benefits. Many HCAOA members have expressed frustration with unemployment benefits, which have made it difficult to retain or hire workers. “We’re pleased to see this directive come out of the Biden Administration because so many of our members are turning away business every day because they don’t have workers to provide the care,” explained Vicki Hoak, HCAOA Executive Director. “While we recognize that unemployment benefits are there for those who cannot find work, we are pleased that the Administration is restating the rules for receiving those benefits.”
 Since May is both National Mental Health Awareness Month and Older Americans Month, HCAOA is taking this time to recognize the challenges many seniors have faced over the last year. In the proclamation declaring May as Older Americans Month, President Biden stated, “The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed tremendous hardships on our Nation’s older Americans. COLORADO: Ties Mask Mandate to Vaccination Status, but Employers Should Proceed with Caution5/12/2021 
Since July 2020, Colorado has required that all employees wear a face covering while working indoors. However, Colorado Governor Jared Polis recently announced significant changes to the statewide mask order. Still, there are several considerations employers must make before permitting employees to go maskless while at work. Read more  The Direct Creation, Advancement, and Retention of Employment (CARE) Opportunity Act of 2021 (H.R. 2999) was introduced by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) on May 4. With so much demand for home care and not enough workers to provide it, this proposed legislation would provide funds to states and entities to invest in strategies to recruit, retain and advance the direct care workforce pipeline. Employers, such as home care providers, are eligible under this legislation.  Don’t forget to pre-order a copy of the Home Care Pulse Benchmarking Study. It will be released next week on Wednesday, May 19 with The State of Home Care Webinar taking place the following week on Tuesday, May 25. The Benchmarking Study is the home care industry’s most comprehensive national study — featuring insights and benchmarks with comparisons by demographics such as geographic region, revenue range, years in business, and population served. You do not want to skip out on utilizing this valuable resource.
 Sine Die – or the end of the legislative session – was an early afternoon celebration on Friday, April 30. Of the 3,140 bills and PCBs filed in the Florida Legislature, only 275 bills crossed the finish line to become matters for the Governor to act on. HCAOA Florida Chapter Lobbyist Jennifer Ungru with Dean Mead has compiled an end of session report of the biggest legislative and regulatory activities over the last 60 days. read more
 Looking for PPE like N95 masks, face shields, latex gloves, syringes and more? Assured Med Supply sources is a U.S. Certified PPE Supplier and Minority & Woman Owned Business that has delivered tens of millions of PPE items to customers. Assured Med Supply allows you to shop in bulk and provides 24- to 48-hour delivery. Call 1-800-661-2672 x100 or visit their website here to shop now before stock runs out!
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced specific metrics on Thursday tying the percentage of Michigan residents who receive the COVID-19 vaccine to a phased approach of lifting capacity and gathering limits and restrictions on everything from working at home requirements to indoor sports stadiums, funeral homes, bars, restaurants, and retailers. According to a new study from The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, the majority of U.S. adults would prefer to receive long-term care in their own homes instead of moving into a nursing facility or senior living community. But while nearly everyone wants to age in place, few actually have a plan to pay for in-home care services as they grow older.
Supply and Demand: The Widening Gap Between the Need for In-Home Care and the Number of Caregivers5/5/2021 
Home care agency owners are well aware that one of the biggest issues in home care today is a shortage of caregivers - coupled with a rapidly aging population, this leads us to a major supply and demand issue. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, home care aides and personal care aides are the sixth fastest growing jobs. For a recent story in HCAOA’s magazine, The Voice, we spoke with several newer agencies that opened in the past few years and even during the COVID pandemic, to explore this impending crisis and what efforts home care agencies across the country are making to grow their workforce to meet the growing demand. Check out this panel interview article here. Or you can read the entire magazine here.  A joint meeting of the Legislative and Chapter Committees is scheduled for Saturday, September 25, from 2-4 p.m. at the Hilton Orlando Hotel, the day before the Annual Leadership Conference begins. According to HCAOA Executive Director Vicki Hoak, this joint meeting will focus on the critical role of advocacy at both the state and national level. “Our state chapters have done a wonderful job throughout the pandemic, and we’re looking forward to sharing best practices of successful advocacy efforts, membership recruitment practices and effective chapter operations,” said Hoak.
 Last Wednesday, President Biden delivered his first joint address before Congress. He directly noted the importance of seniors receiving care in their own homes, and stated that regardless of political party, a concern for countless Americans is taking care of elderly loved ones. Biden also reminded us that: “Two million women have dropped out of the workforce during this pandemic, too often because they couldn’t get the care they need for their family… and 800,000 families are on a Medicaid waiting list right now to get home care for their aging parent or loved one with a disability.”
 Earlier this week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, announced a new program to cover the costs of administering COVID-19 vaccines to patients enrolled in health plans that either do not cover vaccination fees or cover them with patient cost-sharing. Since providers cannot bill patients for COVID-19 vaccination fees, this new program, the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund (CAF), addresses an outstanding compensation need for providers on the front lines vaccinating underinsured patients.
 In an effort to prevent the occupational exposure to an airborne infectious disease, the New York legislature has passed the aptly named New York Health and Essential Rights Act, or NY HERO Act, which amends the New York Labor Law (NYLL) by adding two new sections. This bill has been delivered to Governor Cuomo’s desk and he is expected to sign it into law. Unlike other states, New York does not have robust and longstanding state occupational safety and health laws, standards and mechanisms. This bill is therefore notable because it represents one of the rare times that New York State has passed laws setting minimum safety standards that apply to the private sector. read more
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