On Monday, the Michigan Supreme Court, in an opinion authored by Justice Elizabeth M. Welch and joined by Chief Justice Clement and Justices Berstein, Cavanagh, and Bolden, issued its decision in Andary v. USAA Casualty Insurance Company, a case that has been working its way through the state court system since 2019.

Last week, the HCAOA Michigan Chapter held a virtual legislative update to discuss important issues including plans for legislation to fix the ongoing auto no fault issue in the state, as well as licensure.

​Last week, the bipartisan, bicameral Assisting Caregivers Today (ACT) Caucus was re-launched by Caucus Co-Chairs Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Reps. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI). The ACT Caucus will provide education about the challenges family caregivers face and advocate for policies that support them.

HCAOA members and VP of Government Relations Eric Reinarman met with several members of the Michigan Legislature last week in a continuing quest to get providers properly reimbursed for their care of those seriously injured in catastrophic car accidents.

Michigan members continue to make headway in educating state lawmakers about the serious impact the Auto No-Fault Insurance reform has had on providers and auto accident victims. This reform inadvertently included home care providers and has resulted in dramatic cuts of up to 45% in insurance reimbursement to providers who care for those who’ve been grievously injured in car accidents. 

​AARP Michigan is urging lawmakers to shift to home and community-based care services for the aging population instead of nursing homes and institutions. They have made their concerns known to lawmakers developing Michigan’s fiscal budget for 2022-23. A survey they commissioned in August 2022 found that 89 percent of residents in Michigan would prefer to age at home and avoid ever living in a nursing home.
 
AARP Michigan supports increased funding for the state’s PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly), which provides social and medica services in adult health centers but it supplemented by in-home care.
 
Learn more about AARP Michigan’s priorities at aarp.org/mi.

The HCAOA Michigan State Chapter is still hard at work trying to broker a fix to the automobile no-fault insurance bill that led to cuts of 45% or more in reimbursement rates for those providing home care to individuals who were catastrophically injured in car accidents. Next week, several HCAOA members will participate in over a dozen calls on this topic with members of the Michigan Legislature to help them understand how these cuts are hurting Michigan families and how the problem can be fixed.
 
In 2019, Michigan enacted reforms to their automobile no-fault insurance rubric that inadvertently resulted in reimbursement rate cuts to victims of serious car accidents. Home care companies were never the target of reform efforts in Lansing, and HCAOA is doing all it can to educate members of the Michigan Legislature on this issue. 

​HCAOA state chapters are focused on improving access to and the delivery of home care throughout the country. Whether it’s expanding the scope of services that home care aides in Illinois can provide, or advocating for auto accident victims in Michigan, or developing recommendations for Ohio’s new home care license law, or fighting against a bill that would prohibit non-solicitation clauses in Connecticut, HCAOA’s chapters have been doing great work on behalf of all members! Here are some highlights…

​Experts say one of the keys to caregiver retention is recognition and acknowledgement of the important work they do. Michigan members, here is an opportunity to recognize your caregivers with a free concert by the Michigan State University (MSU) Wind Symphony on March 24 to honor healthcare workers who provided direct care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

​​This week, the HCAOA Michigan Chapter sent a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer on behalf of home care providers who care for hundreds of Michigan residents, including children and adults who require continuous care for injuries sustained in car accidents, who have had their care jeopardized due to new auto insurance reform that went into effect on July 2, 2021. Home care organizations have been providing care to these clients for many years, however now reimbursement from insurance companies has been slashed by 45 percent.

​HCAOA announced this week that Greg Gorton of Right at Home in Grand Blanc, Michigan is the 2021 Caregiver of the Year. Gorton was selected as the top home caregiver in the country from nearly 250 nominees from 41 states. Gorton will be recognized Wednesday at a special event at the Michigan State Capitol.

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HCAOA invites all home care members in Michigan to attend a Chapter Meeting and Capitol Day in Lansing on November 3. Hear the latest federal and state updates on issues affecting home care, and meet in small groups with legislators to educate them about home care and tell them what matters to our agencies, clients, and caregivers. ​