Connecticut Office of Policy and Management Issues Transition Plan for Registration & Oversight of HCAs

Last week, the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management (OPM) issued to the legislature the Plan to transfer responsibility for registration and oversight of home care agencies from the Department of Consumer Protection to the Department of Public Health (DPH).

Based on the research findings, OPM developed a four-year plan that outlines the key process steps, estimates the resource needs, and provides a timeline for making the transition of oversight and regulatory authority of HCAs from DCP to DPH.
 
OPM found that if licensure is the required mode of oversight, 32 new DPH staff would need to be hired at a total cost of $5.3 million to license and survey 1,048 HCAs. Licensure and renewal fees would have to be $14,320, paid every 3 years compared to the current $375 fee for registration/annual renewal.
 
OPM contracted with Corcoran Consulting Group, LLC, to conduct research and to assist with the development of the Plan.
 
Industry best practices identified through research and stakeholder engagement were also considered in formulating the following recommendations:
 

1. Require all HCA staff to complete initial and continuing trainings (which should include, in part, content specific to dementia-related conditions), pass a written examination, and submit attestation of completed trainings and examinations to the state.
   
2. Require HCAs that advertise care for clients with dementia-related conditions to employ staff with state-approved Alzheimer’s care or dementia care certifications to provide these services.
   
3. Permit HCAs to include the term “care” in their advertisements and continue requiring that these businesses disclose to clients that their services are “nonmedical.”

 
The report will be considered during the legislative session that begins January 8, 2025, by the Aging, General Law, and Public Health committees, which may hold a hearing on the report and consider legislation to implement its recommendations.