Today, more than 100 members like you from across the country are in Washington, D.C. for HCAOA’s  2025 Advocacy Day, meeting with members of Congress to discuss the importance of home care. Whether or not you are joining us, we need your voice before and during our trip to Capitol Hill. 

The reintroduction of the Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act of 2025 (H.R.138) brings vital financial support to family caregivers, who play a critical role in the care of aging parents and loved ones. This legislation proposes an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code, allowing caregivers to use funds from Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs), and Archer Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs) to cover the medical expenses of their parents or their spouse’s parents, by permitting caregivers to use pre-tax dollars for these expenses.

U.S. Reps Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and John Moolenaar (R-MI) introduced the bipartisan Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home (WISH) Act to address the long-term care for disabled seniors. This legislation proposes a federal catastrophic insurance program that offers financial support for disabled seniors after a 1-5 year elimination period based on income, during which individuals cover their own care. The program incentivizes private insurers to offer more affordable plans, raise awareness about long-term care planning, and reduce reliance on Medicaid.

​Yesterday's HCAOA Indiana Chapter meeting was very informative. Evan Reinhardt, Executive Director of the Indiana Association for Home & Hospice Care, provided background on the 70/30 Medicaid Wage Passthrough and outlined what advocacy has been done to combat the passthrough with the FSSA. While a full repeal is the ultimate goal, advocacy to date includes speaking with the Braun administration, meeting with members of the House Ways & Means Committee, and negotiating with Rep. Ed Clere (R-IN-72). HCAOA will provide updates as meetings continue with Rep. Clere in hope of repealing the passthrough.

Two identical bills, HB 3838 and SB 1138, have been filed in the Oregon legislature that would establish a Home and Community-Based Workforce Standards Board. The legislation would direct the board to set minimum working standards for the HCBS workforce. It would also grant the board the authority to establish uniform training standards and provide “remedies” for allegations and violations of the minimum standards established by the board.

The Credit for Caring Act, a bipartisan bill designed to provide much-needed financial relief for family caregivers, was reintroduced in the House/Senate yesterday by Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV Michael Bennet (D-CO), Reps. Mike Carey (R-OH-15), and Linda Sánchez (D-CA-38). HCAOA strongly supports this legislation, which aims to ease the financial strain for those caring for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones with long-term care needs.

HCAOA CEO Jason Lee recently sent a letter to President Trump in response to his administration’s executive order directing departments and agencies to initiate a regulatory freeze for certain rules that have not taken effect, pending review by the newly appointed agency head.

Connecticut is set to expand its paid sick leave law, affecting private-sector employees beginning January 1, 2025. Previously limited to employers with 50 or more employees and service workers, the new law will extend paid sick leave to all employees at companies with 25 or more employees, with further expansion in 2026 and 2027. Key changes include the elimination of the service worker criteria, no requirement for employees to provide documentation or advance notice for leave, and expanded use of sick time to care for family members. Additionally, the law increases accrual from one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked to one hour for every 30 hours worked, with a carryover of 40 hours or the option for employers to frontload sick leave at the start of each year. Governor Ned Lamont signed the bill in May, and the implementation will occur in phases over the next few years.

HCAOA is proud to celebrate a historic achievement for our nation’s veterans: the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act has passed Congress and is on its way to President Biden’s desk, who is expected to sign it into law! This landmark legislation will significantly enhance home-based care for veterans, including increasing the Veterans Administration's funding for in-home care to match 100% of the cost of nursing home care for veterans. HCAOA’s advocacy played a crucial role in making this a reality, with over 4,000 messages sent to Capitol Hill through its legislative action network. Over the past two years, advocacy efforts included numerous meetings with Veterans Affairs leadership, Congressional Policy Committee staff, in addition to meetings with key legislators during HCAOA's Home Care Advocacy Days.

HCAOA Connecticut Chapter leaders met recently with key lawmakers about Chapter legislative and public policy priorities in advance of the regular legislative session, which begins next month.

It’s not too late to register for today’s member-only webinar at 3:00 p.m. ET for a recap of the 2024 elections and a non-partisan discussion about opportunities and impacts for home care. HCAOA will also share insights into 2025 legislative and regulatory priorities.

HCAOA is excited to announce that the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. This milestone follows over a year of advocacy from thousands of HCAOA members. More than 3,000 messages were sent to Capitol Hill, and hundreds participated in the 2024 HCAOA Home Care Advocacy Day. HCAOA members succeeded in raising awareness about the importance of strengthening services for veterans and their families.

​As 2025 rapidly approaches, HCAOA is working with state chapters and industry partners to ensure home care is prioritized in state legislatures across the country next session. Check out this resource, which shares state-by-state legislative session dates for 2025. As 2025 sessions kick off, HCAOA will keep you equipped with advocacy resources, breaking policy updates, and opportunities to take action and bolster advocacy efforts happening in your state. If you’d like to learn more about how to get involved in advocacy efforts in your state, please reach out to [email protected]. 

HCAOA joined NAHC, LeadingAge, ANCOR, and other industry leaders for a quarterly meeting with the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) last week as CMS continues to seek feedback regarding the implementation of the Medicaid Access Rule. Throughout the meeting, our coalition of industry leaders continued to stress the potential impact of the 80/20 provision on providers and provided recommendations for sub-regulatory guidance that has yet to be articulated by CMS, such as reporting and audit requirements, to ensure state-by-state continuity in implementation and to mitigate unnecessary administrative burden on providers.

U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Bob Casey (D-Penn) have introduced three bills aimed at bolstering the Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who provide essential home care and assistance to seniors and individuals with disabilities. This initiative comes in response to the caregiver work shortage. The bills are designed to create new programs and adjust federal funding to enhance home and community-based services (HCBS), addressing the urgent need for support in this critical workforce.