Get Involved with Your Chapter – Attend an Event!

Did you know that when you join HCAOA you are automatically a member of your state chapter, as well? All members are encouraged to get involved with their HCAOA state chapters! The easiest way to get involved is to visit your state chapter website and to attend a state chapter event. The summer is heating up and many chapters have events and conferences planned! These events include full agendas of presentations, opportunities to meet and talk with vendors supporting the home care industry, and time for networking and information-sharing with colleagues.  
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While detecting dementia early can improve clinical outcomes, 80% of adults ages 65 to 80 have not been screened for cognitive issues in the past year, according to the National Poll on Aging. Home health providers are turning to dementia screenings as a standard part of health assessments – and are discovering meaningful clinical and operational benefits

On April 28, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) issued a press release announcing the publication of proposed regulations interpreting the “ABC test” used to determine whether workers are deemed employees or independent contractors under the wage and hour and benefits laws in New Jersey. While the NJDOL advised that these proposed regulations were based on case law from the New Jersey courts interpreting the ABC test, the proposed regulations appear to expand the ABC test and common law on the issue. These proposed regulations represent the next step by the NJDOL targeting misclassification in New Jersey, a goal of Governor Phil Murphy.

On May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1, a broad budget reconciliation package that has moved on to the Senate for consideration. While this bill is wide in both breadth and scope, HCAOA was disappointed that none of the association’s tax reform priorities were included in the final House version. While the bill was under consideration, HCAOA sent this letter to House and Senate leadership advocating for the inclusion of the following common-sense, bipartisan policies to support caregiving families and strengthen the home care workforce in the bill:

Susan Oderwald, owner of Always Best Care in Milford, and Mario D’Aquila, Chief Operating Officer of Assisted Living Services in Cheshire and chairman of HCAOA Connecticut’s DSS Medicaid committee, staffed a table and spoke with lawmakers and members of the public about Medicaid reimbursement, caregiver training and other Chapter legislative and public policy priorities under consideration in the General Assembly.

Last week, HCAOA submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget regarding their request for information on regulations that are unnecessary, unlawful, unduly burdensome, or unsound. You can read the comments by accessing the links below. 

Before benefits begin in July 2026, the WA Cares Fund will work to register a diverse range of qualified providers for each covered service, including home care. This is a great opportunity for home care providers to reach new potential markets. Learn how to get involved as a provider in the program in the WA Care Basics webinar on August 5 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. 

Last week, several key committees in the U.S. House of Representatives held “markups,” during which committee members debate, amend, and vote on budget-related legislation, the budget reconciliation bill. ​These sessions represent an early but important step in the annual federal budget process, during which lawmakers develop and approve funding proposals for the upcoming fiscal year.

As U.S. employers adapt to wide-ranging executive orders, sweeping changes at federal agencies, and a growing patchwork of state and local regulations, they are bracing for further challenges over the next year – both from a workplace management and legal perspective, according to the 13th Annual Employer Survey released last week by Littler.

The end of the legislative session is rapidly approaching in Arizona, and home care advocates across the state are working diligently to urge lawmakers to include funding for the HCBS-EPD industry in the state budget. HCAOA encourages all members to contact members of the legislature and ask for a minimum of $15 million in state general fund investment for HCBS-EPD for FY 2025-26 in order to keep up with the demand for EPD providers and ensure industry wages rise to levels sufficient to recruit and retain direct care workers.
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The HCAOA Illinois Chapter invites all members to a Summer Social on June 3, 2025 from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to nurture established connections and build new relationships in a relaxed environment. This event is free, thanks to sponsor Preferred Benefit Consultants, but registration is recommended.

On May 1, the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor issued a bulletin (fab2025-1.pdf) announcing it will no longer enforce the 2024 independent contractor rule under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which previously set forth a six-factor test to classify workers as employees or independent contractors based on a “totality of the circumstances test” of non-exhaustive factors.

​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.