House Passes Budget Reconciliation Package, Now Moves to Senate HCAOA Fights to Include Policies to Support Families, Home Care Workforce

On May 22, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.1, a broad budget reconciliation package that has moved on to the Senate for consideration. While this bill is wide in both breadth and scope, HCAOA was disappointed that none of the association’s tax reform priorities were included in the final House version. While the bill was under consideration, HCAOA sent this letter to House and Senate leadership advocating for the inclusion of the following common-sense, bipartisan policies to support caregiving families and strengthen the home care workforce in the bill:

​

• The Credit for Caring Act (H.R.2036 / S.925), which would provide a nonrefundable tax credit to eligible family caregivers.
• The Lowering Costs for Caregivers Act (H.R.138), which would expand Health Savings Account eligibility to individuals who use paid home care services.
• The Home Care for Seniors Act (H.R.1795), which would allow tax-exempt distributions from Health Savings Accounts to be used for qualified home care services.

  
HCAOA also urged lawmakers to reconsider the proposed $625 billion cut to Medicaid, warning that reductions of this scale would destabilize the home and community-based services millions of Americans rely on to remain safely at home as they receive care.
 
HCAOA will continue working with House and Senate leaders to press for the inclusion of these policies during the reconciliation process, as well as in any upcoming tax or budget vehicle. HCAOA remains committed to ensuring that caregivers and the home care industry are recognized and supported through public policy initiatives such as tax policy.
 
Click here to read H.R.1 in its entirety, or here for a summary of the health provisions.
 
Stay tuned for updates as the reconciliation process unfolds in the Senate.