 Last week, the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) informed the HCAOA Georgia Chapter that it received approval from CMS for the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) amendments submitted in May. The waiver amendments for both ICWP and EDWP were approved with an effective date of July 1, 2024.
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 MyCTSavings, the state-sponsored retirement program, will be sending notifications to newly eligible employers in July, the program announced last week. The enrollment deadline is Aug. 31, 2024. To be eligible, businesses must have five or more employees, not offer a qualified retirement plan, and have been in business continuously since Jan. 1, 2023. State law requires eligible employers to either enroll in MyCTSavings or establish their own private plan.
HCAOA CEO Jason Lee Provides Policy Update to Franchisees at Visiting Angels Conference in Denver6/26/2024  Last week, HCAOA CEO Jason Lee joined Jay Perron, Partner at the Prism Group, for a panel discussion titled "Conversation with Capitol Hill: Policy and Political Update" at the Visiting Angels Annual Conference in Denver. Dan Drennen, Senior Vice President of Brand Administration, Visiting Angels, and HCAOA Board member, moderated the panel.
 Change Healthcare said it has begun notifying people who were impacted by the cyberattack on patient data in February. (press release)
 The final proposed rules for New Jersey financial reporting requirement law were released on May 20 (click here to read a summary of the law on pages 1-5, the proposed law begins on page 6). New Jersey HCAOA members are encouraged to review the rules thoroughly and consult with their CPA or accounting firm to be sure that they fully understand the requirements and that they obtain a potential quote for their services to complete the required report, which is to be filed with your annual health care service firm renewal beginning next year.
 An executive order was released last week that undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens, including their children, may remain in the U.S. while applying for permanent residence. Prior to this change, undocumented spouses were required to return to their home country to complete the application. HCAOA supports immigration reform to address the workforce shortage in the home care industry. This new policy could allow this demographic to enter the workforce at an expedited pace, providing an additional source for new employees.
 Lawmakers in the U.S. House continue to negotiate portions of H.R.8371, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. The legislation encompasses a number of bipartisan and bicameral proposals to reform and improve the delivery of healthcare, benefits, and services at the VA for veterans, their families, and their survivors.
The HCAOA Connecticut Chapter presented two awards to Chapter leaders Marlene Chickerella and Susan Oderwald during its annual chapter conference last week in Bristol.
By Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq.
According to a recent analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, healthcare is one of the most dangerous places to work. Homecare field staff members who provide services on behalf of private duty agencies, hospices, Medicare-certified home health agencies, and home medical equipment (HME) companies may be especially vulnerable. Contributing to their vulnerability is the fact that they work alone on territory that may be unfamiliar and over which they have little control. Staff members certainly need as much protection as possible.  As HCAOA has reported previously, several rate increases for Medicaid providers of home and community-based services (HCBS) in Georgia were included in the SFY 2025 budget, which was signed in May and later approved by the Georgia Department of Community Health. The increases were then sent to CMS for their approval prior to implementation. CMS has submitted a series of questions to DCH concerning these rate increases and responses have already been submitted. DCH continues to work closely with CMS to facilitate the final approval of the rate increases, and based on the current status, the goal continues to be an effective date of July 1.
 In April, the bipartisan Continuous Skilled Nursing Quality Improvement Act of 2024 (S. 4122) was introduced in the Senate to address the needs of medically fragile children and adults who rely on continuous skilled nursing (CSN) services, also known as private duty nursing (PDN) services. HCAOA supports this legislation to modernize and enhance the PDN/CSN program by establishing consistent national standards and updating terminology to better represent the nature of these essential services and is working with a coalition of stakeholders, including home care providers and advocacy groups, to ensure the bill is passed.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislative leaders, and business and labor groups announced this week that they reached an agreement on needed reforms to the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). Legislation reflecting this agreement is set to be introduced next week and enactment sought by next Thursday, June 27. Once the legislation is passed and signed into law by the Governor, proponents of the PAGA ballot initiative eligible for the November ballot have agreed to withdraw their measure.
CMS Projects Health Care Spending to Increase Over Next 10 Years, Outpacing Overall Spending6/19/2024  Between now and 2032, the average annual growth in health care spending will outpace overall spending, resulting in an increase in the health spending share of GDP from 17.3% in 2022 to 19.7% in 2032, according to an annual report released last week by the CMS Office of the Actuary. Personal health care price inflation and growth in the use of health care services and goods contribute to projected health spending that grows at a faster rate (5.6%) than the rest of the economy (4.1%).
 California’s new Health Care Workers Minimum Wage Law (S.B. 525) has received a lot of attention for phasing in a $25 minimum wage for many health care employees. Even as the law takes effect in less than two weeks, there are varying opinions about how it impacts home care companies in the state.
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© 2024 Home Care Association of America. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Refund Policy