President Joe Biden highlighted the value of homecare during his State of the Union Address last week and, in his statement, said, “Imagine a future with paid leave because no one should have to choose between working and taking care of yourself or a sick family member. Imagine a future with home care and elder care so seniors and people living with disabilities can stay in their homes and family caregivers get paid what they deserve! Tonight, let’s all agree once again to stand up for seniors!”
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Senators Thom Tillis (R-North Caroline) and Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) and Congressman Mike Carey (R-Ohio-15) and Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-California-28) introduced the Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act of 2024 (S.3766). The bill would help inform Medicare beneficiaries and individuals applying for benefits under Medicare Part A or enrolling under Medicare Part B about the option to fill out a form to give Medicare permission to share their personal health information with a family caregiver through 1-800-MEDICARE. This authorization form helps family caregivers when they call 1-800-MEDICARE to assist their loved one or advocate on their behalf, saving family caregivers time and making it easier for them to interact with Medicare to support and assist their loved one.
Recently, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colorado) reintroduced the Credit for Caring Act (S.3702), a bipartisan bill that would establish a nonrefundable federal tax credit of up to $5,000, covering up to 30% of qualified expenses exceeding $2,000. These expenses cover vital aspects of caregiving, including home care aides, adult day care, home modifications, assistive technology, respite care, and transportation.
HCAOA member Bob Roth, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Cypress HomeCare Solutions, founded in 1994 and former HCAOA Board of Directors member, was recently awarded a grant of $419,210.06 – the ONLY home care agency out of 61 awardees. The grant will fund a partnership between Cypress and HCAOA Associate members Nevvon and PocketRN to empower family caregivers with training so they can better care for their loved ones, access to a virtual nurse to provide continuity of care, and monetary support for the family caregiver who often leaves their job to care for their family member.
Beginning February 29, the Washington State Department of Health announced that Prometric candidates will utilize a new Registration and Scheduling system (IQT) online portal to schedule and, if necessary, pay for their examination fees. A blackout period from February 14 to February 28, will prohibit exam scheduling, so do not submit exam payments to the Department of Health (DOH) after February 13, 2024.
HCAOA members Jeff Wiberg, CEO of Family Resource Home Care and HCAOA Immediate Past President, and Ari Medoff, CEO of Arosa, were interviewed by Home Health Care News to discuss how home care agencies have long grappled with a gray market, where an unofficial caregiver workforce operates. This "underground" network comprises individuals unconnected to formal home care agencies, often working independently and hired directly by clients or families. With the escalating cost of care provision, home care providers are facing heightened challenges, potentially exacerbating the situation.
This McKnights podcast will explore the intersection of technology and the evolution of value-based care. MatrixCare and the American Health Care Association discuss the challenges faced by post-acute providers in the value-based care model and what the role of technology in overcoming these challenges are. To listen to the podcast, click here. The Yale School of Medicine has been awarded $250,000 from the Humana Foundation to study mental health among primary caregivers for people living with dementia. The goals are to determine whether advance care planning positively impacts caregivers and patients and to develop tools to facilitate meaningful communication to make this happen.
Last week, the White House announced the American Rescue Plan Act has invested $37 billion in home- and community-based services (HCBS), significantly more than the $12 billion in federal funds due to matching investments by all 50 states and DC. CMS also released new guidance to states to leverage worker registries which can help beneficiaries find qualified HCBS providers.
This week, HCAOA teamed up with the Connecticut Association for Health Care at Home for an important discussion about the safety of home care workers following the recent murder of a home health nurse in a client’s home. Pamela Hunter, Ph.D., CSP, Senior Loss Control Consultant from Workers’ Compensation Trust provided information about workplace safety management and de-escalation training. Safety is such an important issue for all home care providers, so HCAOA is making this valuable session available to all members.
The Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) landscape in the United States is facing a critical shortage, with all states reporting deficiencies in HCBS workers, particularly among direct support professionals, personal care attendants, nursing staff, and home health aides. The situation is exacerbated by the permanent closures of HCBS providers in most states over the past year.
The Direct Care Worker and Family Caregiver Initiative, a multi-year collaboration between PHI and the National Alliance for Caregiving, serves as a step toward strengthening the relationship between these essential caregivers.
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