Today in Washington

​“There is general uncertainty of what happens next,” wrote a New York Times reporter yesterday morning. First, there is the vote needed to increase the debt ceiling, which many are saying is necessary in order for the U.S. to pay its debts, and then, of course, the other hot potatoes are the infrastructure bill and the $3 Trillion plus social safety net plan. ​

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Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), a key to passage of President Biden’s plan in the Senate, now says that he could potentially support a legislative package as large as $2.2 trillion. This discussion will go on for some time as further action on the proposal is not expected until the end of October. As the resources trend downward in the proposal it is likely that major parts of the Biden plan will be eliminated or dramatically reduced. This could impact home care in several ways as the bill includes nearly $200 billion in funding for home and community-based care expansion in Medicaid, to include increases in Medicaid reimbursement. It may also reduce funding for parents in need of childcare to return to work and reduce the amount of the tax credit for family caregivers that is included in the bill. HCAOA continues to advocate for extending the tax credit for employers who are dealing with paid sick leave for COVID-19 related illness. That credit expired on September 30, 2021.
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“Never before has home care been so highlighted in a President’s initiative,” said HCAOA Executive Director Vicki Hoak.  “We must take advantage of this moment in time by letting our legislators know the importance of providing care in one’s home.  Not only because home care is preferred care, it’s also more cost-effective care.”  
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HCAOA’s federal lobbyist, Patrick Cooney said that the final legislative package is in flux, which means HCAOA members can still impact the outcome. Thank you to all who have used the legislative action site to contact their Senators and Representative to convey their views. There is still time to have an impact if you have not done so already. Don’t wait, click here to make your voice heard.