Households can order an additional eight tests at www.covidtests.gov if they have already received tests from the first two rounds of distribution. Agencies should let their clients and families know about the additional tests as a safeguard against the spread of the disease.
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The Home Care for Seniors Act (H.R. 2898/S. 1399), which would allow tax-exempt distributions from health savings accounts (HSAs) to be used for qualified home care, will cost an estimated $202 million over the next 10 years. The cost, or “score,” is determined by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which estimates the impact of proposed legislation on the federal budget. “The fact that the Home Care for Seniors Act has received a score from the CBO is a good sign – it could signal that the bill may begin moving through Congress on its way toward passage,” said HCAOA CEO Vicki Hoak. “HCAOA supports this bill, and all proposals that expand access to home-based care for seniors and people with disabilities.” HCAOA proudly sponsors the annual Caregiver of the Year Award, a national program that recognizes the top caregivers across the country who provide care and services at home, such as assistance with bathing, dressing, and medication reminders, to seniors and people with disabilities. Nominations for the 2022 award are now open, and all members are encouraged to submit a top caregiver.
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services has filed new rules to respond to the backlog of long-term care workers needing training and/or testing for certification caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
These new rules will allow additional time for long-term care workers to be trained and certified. Workers are also credited with continuing education hours for on-the-job training during the COVID-19 emergency, and deadlines for completing continuing education are also extended. The Permanent Rule Making adds two new sections in Chapters 388-71 WAC and 388-112A WAC. To access the rule language, please click here. "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." According to Bill Gates, you can learn a lot from your customers – especially the unhappy ones. HCAOA’s innovative Entrepreneur Academy can teach you how to use any negative feedback you receive from your clients as a chance to collaborate to create new, positive experiences that build trust and confidence in your agency.
This one-year, MBA-style program is self-paced and flexible, and focuses on developing skills including:
The program fee is $1,200, but HCAOA members receive a special discounted rate of $999. Click here to learn more. Email [email protected] to get the discount code. The nation’s leading research and advocacy organization supporting Medicare Advantage, Better Medicare Alliance (BMA), released a statement on the annual Medicare Trustees Report from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor, CMS, and the Social Security Administration.
The report shows an improved fiscal outlook compared to last year and predicts that funds will last two years longer than expected. BMA President and CEO Mary Beth Donahue said in the statement she hopes the news will encourage policymakers to continue making advancements in MA to protect the nation’s seniors and individuals with disabilities.
The COVID pandemic changed our world forever, and perhaps no industry was thrust into the national spotlight as much as home care. COVID messaging from the CDC and top officials was to “stay home and stay safe” – a mantra the home care industry repeats every day! With all of the renewed interest in the home care model and demand for services, home care is in a unique position to pivot its role in the healthcare continuum. It’s the steps we as an industry take in the coming months that will make all the difference… The HCAOA Annual Conference, September 17-19 in Orlando, FL, is the first in-person conference since 2019, before the pandemic began. We have a lot to catch up on, and a lot of planning to do for the future. If there is one conference you plan on attending this year, make it this one. Innovative keynotes, unique breakout sessions, a panel of national payers, and a pre-conference focused on how we solidify home care’s role in the continuum – all looking to the future and what is NOW and NEXT for home care. Register by Aug. 5 to get early-bird pricing. Book a room at the Orlando Hotel by Aug. 25 for the special discounted rate. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS announced that the deadline for states to use funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) has been extended to March 31, 2025. The ARP provided states with a temporary 10 percentage point increase in federal Medicaid funding for HCBS if they meet certain requirements. The original deadline was March 22, 2022.
The additional federal funding made available under the ARP allows those enrolled in Medicaid who need long-term services and supports to receive assistance required to reside in the setting of their choice. States are using the funds in a variety of ways to enhance, expand, and strengthen home and community-based services. Some are using the additional funds to increase HCBS to help people with Medicaid coverage receive care outside a skilled nursing facility after a hospitalization. Others are providing recruitment and retention bonuses and increasing pay for direct support professionals and implementing new training programs and other strategies to strengthen the direct support workforce. Click here for details about how states are using the funds. As members know, HCAOA has nearly 20 active state chapters that focus on state-specific legislative and advocacy issues, conferences and education, and information sharing. In recent weeks, three additional states have expressed their interest in forming a state chapter: New York, South Dakota, and West Virginia. HCAOA is in talks with leaders in the state and is holding a series of informational webinars to discuss the home care priorities for advocacy in each state.
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