The HCAOA Georgia Chapter conference was held last week at The Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta, GA, with more than 80 members registered.

The countdown is on—only ONE WEEK left until the HCAOA Georgia Chapter Conference! Join your fellow Georgia home care providers on Wednesday, March 19 at The Georgian Terrace Hotel in Atlanta, GA.

HCAOA is thrilled to announce that Senate Appropriations Chairman, Sen. Blake Tillery, will join HCAOA Georgia members at the HCAOA Georgia Chapter Conference on March 19. This event will provide legislative updates, featuring discussions on key topics such as the 80/20 rule, immigration, tax policy, proposed Medicaid cuts, and more.

​Georgia members - mark your calendars for the HCAOA Georgia Chapter Conference on Wednesday, March 19, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Georgian Terrace Hotel. This is your chance to connect with chapter leadership, HCAOA staff, and your peers for a full day of valuable insights and discussions. Topics will cover federal and state regulations, legislative updates, an update on VA CCN services and rates, and more.

Register today for this must-attend event!

As of July 1, the Georgia Department of Community Health notified the HCAOA Georgia Chapter that the Medicaid billing system is NOT yet set up to accept the updated rates for the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP). However, the rate increases ARE effective as of July 1, so payment will be retroactive once the system is updated with the new rates.

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.

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.

The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) Board approved the reimbursement rate increases recommended in the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) effective July 1, 2024. These rate increases now go to CMS for their approval.

​The Georgia General Assembly passed the SFY 2025 budget. The SFY 2025 Budget contains funds to fully implement the reimbursement rates recommended in the Independent Care Waiver Program (ICWP) and Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) provider rate studies completed last year.

HCAOA’s Georgia Chapter is pleased to report that the House has approved the SFY 2025 budget, and now the budget is in the Senate for consideration. The chapter previously met with the House Appropriations Chair and recently met with the Senate Appropriations Chair to answer questions and advocate for passage of the SFY 2025 with this funding fully intact. The Chapter will continue to follow the budget process in the Senate and are prepared to answer any questions on behalf of the budget request.

Representative Jesse Petrea has forwarded an update that he received earlier today concerning the approaching deadline of September 15th for all Medicaid providers to revalidate their credentials. This revalidation process must be completed to assure that providers continue to receive their Medicaid reimbursements for services rendered to Medicaid members.

​Thousands of Georgians have had continuous Medicaid coverage stemming from the ongoing federal COVID public health emergency (PHE). However, when the PHE expires, states must conduct redeterminations of Medicaid recipients to check their eligibility. Georgia Medicaid recipients will soon receive one or more text messages from the Georgia Department of Human Services asking them to update their account information and communication preferences. The timeline for expiration remains uncertain, but Medicaid recipients are strongly encouraged to review and update their information now.

The Georgia Department of Community Health is accepting public comments for 30 days on the New Options Waiver (NOW) and the Elderly and Disabled Waiver Program (EDWP) to renew both waiver programs. HCAOA will submit comments on behalf of members. Georgia agencies are asked to provide feedback or comments to Eric Reinarman, HCAOA VP, Government Relations at [email protected] by this Friday, June 10.
 
NOW is a Medicaid waiver that can be used to enable eligible GA residents with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to receive care at home. The EDWP provides in-home care to eligible frail, elderly, and disabled residents in GA.
 
Click here for additional information on the public notices, the draft waiver applications, and the online webform to submit written comments.