 The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care is expanding its Home-Based Primary Care, Medical Foster Home and Veteran-Directed Care programs to make them available at all VA medical centers by the end of fiscal year 2026. VA will add 58 medical foster homes and 70 Veteran-directed care programs to VAMCs across the nation and add 75 home-based primary care teams to areas with the highest unmet need.
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 The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently released the 2022 Fee Schedule for the Community Care Network, which includes reimbursement rates for home care services. The HCAOA VA Council was successful in advocating for increases in 18 of 20 geographic areas.
Veterans Day Is Tomorrow: Learn How Vet Families Can Receive Thousands Each Month from VA11/10/2021  Are your clients or prospects wartime veterans or surviving spouses? Do they require assistance with at least two Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)? Many veterans and their families are not aware of VA benefits that help pay for home care. They may be eligible to receive a pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) known as the Aid and Attendance Benefit.
 Last week, HCAOA submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division in response to the proposed rule regarding increasing the minimum wage for federal contractors. In the letter, HCAOA requested that the Department provide clarity in its Final Rule that certain home care providers providing care to veterans by way of Veterans Care Agreements with the Veterans Administration or Agreements with the entities operating the Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VACCN) are exempt from the requirements of the Executive Order, and that any final regulation implementing the Executive Order makes that exemption explicit.
 HCAOA has an update for members providing care under the VA Community Care Network. Effective June 9, TriWest began subcontracting all VACCN Region 4 health care claims processing and payment with PGBA. However, due to various technical issues on PGBA’s end, the first post-transition payments didn’t go out from PGBA until the week of July 12. “HCAOA members may have received a number of denials for June claims, but TriWest and PGBA are currently working to resolve those issues. Other than the June discrepancies, payments appear to be flowing correctly,” reported Doug Robertson, Chair of HCAOA’s Veteran Services Council. HCAOA continues to maintain contact with TriWest leadership on the transition status.
Check out the video below to learn more about how HCAOA Associate Member VetAssist Program, helps agencies solve problems like client turnover and supporting clients who can’t afford care. “While there are others who help veteran families file Aid and Attendance claims, we do so much more,” says Evan Kaltman, Veterans Home Care Managing Partner and Vice President-Sales.
 During yesterday’s meeting with Veteran’s Administration officials, HCAOA’s VA Services Council was informed that authorizations for community care issued after July 16 will be good for 365 days – an extension from the previous 180 day Standardized Episode of Care (SEOC) duration. 
HCAOA's VA Advisory Committee is working to help members address issues with the VA and recently put out a call for members to voice concerns. As a follow up, we have scheduled meetings with TriWest and Optum, as well as follow up meeting with VA. HCAOA members are invited to join representatives from TriWest and Optum for webinars to cover all topics pertaining to home care agencies serving veterans. While many Americans relaxed for the long Memorial Day weekend, HCAOA took the opportunity to speak with members about how THEY honor their clients who are veterans. Always Best Care Senior Services of Glenview and the North Shore spoke with two clients who served their country and shared their stories: U.S. Army Veteran, Samuel Thomas and U.S. Navy Veteran, George Blinick.
 TriWest Healthcare Alliance recently selected PGBA to be its new vendor for processing and paying claims under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Community Care Network. The claims processing transition has already begun in Kodiak, AK and will begin soon in other areas. TriWest and PGBA representatives will be hosting a webinar for HCAOA members in CCN Region 4 on Wednesday, June 2 from 1:00-2:30 p.m. PST to learn more about the transition from WPS to PGBA.
 As Memorial Day approaches, HCAOA is sharing different ways members have honored veterans in their local communities. Several years ago HCAOA member Kelly Chambers, owner of Visiting Angels - Tacoma, did a presentation about her involvement with Honor Flight - the non-profit organization that takes veterans to see the Washington, D.C. memorials. HCAOA member Gail Lohmann, owner of Visiting Angels - Gold Country, learned about this opportunity and sought to create a similar event - naming it the Mission to Honor Veterans.
 HCAOA’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Council held a productive meeting last week with leadership at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Many members have a contract with TriWest to provide home care to veterans in the western U.S. through the VA Community Care Network (VACCN). The meeting is part of a series of advocacy meetings the Council is having with the VA and its contractors to improve member experiences with providing care to veterans.  Veterans Affairs Community Care Network contractor TriWest has announced that it isnow partnering with PGBA, which will replace WPS and CAQH in the claim process. HCAOA VA Council Chair Doug Robertson said there had been ongoing issues with WPS.  HCAOA’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Council has been working diligently for the past several months to address and resolve many challenges home care agencies face in working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. One of the recent victories for the Council is an offer by leading officials at the VA to request Optum and TriWest to resolve applications that are mired in the contractor credentialing processes. Is your organization experiencing lengthy delays in being approved or denied?  The VA Community Care Network (CCN) program is currently the most promising opportunity in home care. With the lowest rates in the country being $25.36 and the highest rates being $70.32, you can now get satisfactory reimbursement for providing care to the veteran community. |
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