​Last year, a bill (H.B. 1120) was passed and signed into law in Indiana that included a passthrough mandate requiring 70% of Medicaid reimbursement rates to be allocated to caregiver wages. Exactly what is included in that 70% has not yet been determined by the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) and will be crucial to the bill’s ultimate impact on home care providers in Indiana. HCAOA, the Indiana Association for Home & Hospice Care (IAHHC) and other industry partners worked diligently this session to find a legislative avenue to repeal and address the impact of this proposed passthrough. Despite strong support from key lawmakers to include this language in the budget, it was ultimately not adopted in the final version of the budget. We have now turned our attention to FSSA and the executive branch to urge them to adopt language that will minimize the impact on providers. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to advocating for home care providers nationwide, HCAOA is actively compiling member feedback and conducting research to support comprehensive responses to multiple new Requests for Information (RFIs) and regulatory review opportunities recently launched by federal agencies. 

​The Washington State Department of Health Home Care Aide program has extended the emergency rules regarding alternative certification timelines for individuals pursuing certification as home care aides, in response to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The department acknowledges that many long-term care workers continue to face challenges in obtaining certification, and this extension is essential to protect public health and safety, as well as to support the long-term care workforce and help prevent staffing shortages.

​Earlier this year, the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) issued a plan to the legislature to transfer responsibility for registration and oversight of home care agencies from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Public Health (DPH). OPM contracted with Corcoran Consulting Group, LLC, to conduct research and to assist with the development of the Plan. The HCAOA Connecticut Chapter invites all members to an exclusive webinar on Wednesday, May 14 featuring Guy Tommasi and Holly Haringa of Corcoran Consulting Group, who will provide unique insight into the report's development from the consultant’s perspective and discuss their role, experience, work and recommendations, as well as the status of the report and plan, its fiscal impact and the next steps.

Medicare Advantage (MA) beneficiaries who are Black, Hispanic, or Asian American/Pacific Islander (AA/PI) receive higher rates of preventive health screenings and primary care services and lower rates of avoidable inpatient services compared to similar beneficiaries in traditional fee-for-service Medicare, according to an analysis released last week by Berkeley Research Group (BRG). Using Medicare claims and MA encounter data, BRG professionals also found that enrollees in special needs plans often had the greatest advantage over similar enrollees in traditional Medicare.

All home care providers are invited to attend the HCAOA Washington Chapter Conference on Wednesday, June 4th from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at The Centennial Hotel in Spokane, WA – the first time at this beautiful location just steps from the Spokane River and Centennial Trail.