HCAOA Applauds Senate Passing $3.5T Budget Blueprint

​​Last Wednesday, the U.S. Senate passed a $3.5 trillion budget proposal that would potentially increase the pay of home care workers, provide billions of dollars in home- and community-based services, and expand Medicare. HCAOA issued a statement in support of this plan. Executive Director Vicki Hoak, stated, “We are very excited that the Senate has passed a resolution to start drafting the next Human Infrastructure Plan, which hopefully will include several issues that are important to home care organizations as well as to the people we care for including expanding Medicare coverage for vision, dental and hearing.” 

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Other issues that we are advocating for include child care subsidies to assist our frontline workers, mandating home- and community-based services under states’ Medicaid plans, increasing Medicaid reimbursement to home care and private duty nursing and funding for home care worker training,” she added. 

“While the pandemic has and continues to be devastating, it has highlighted the tremendous value home care aides bring not only to older Americans but to the government as well.  Home care is a win-win for home care clients and government: A win for older clients who prefer to receive care in their own homes and it’s a win for the government because home care is cheaper than facility care. Our members look forward to meeting with members of Congress in the coming months to discuss all the issues that will ultimately improve access to home-based care including support for family caregivers who provide about $470 billion annually in unpaid care.”