Last week, HCAOA virtually attended the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing titled "Legislative Proposals to Increase Medicaid Access and Improve Program Integrity" that included discussions regarding the recently finalized Medicaid Access Rule that contains the 80/20 provision that HCAOA opposes. HCAOA continues to stand firm in opposition and will advocate in support of H.R.8114.
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Today, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing titled "Legislative Proposals to Increase Medicaid Access and Improve Program Integrity" that included discussions regarding the recently finalized Medicaid Access Rule that contains the 80/20 provision that HCAOA opposes. You can find HCAOA's statement in opposition to the 80/20 provision here. In coordination with the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC), HCAOA also submitted questions to the Committee prior to the hearing.
Whether you were able to participate in Advocacy Day or not, all members are invited to HCAOA, and Home Care Ops “State of Home Care: Capitol Hill Debrief” on May 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
During Advocacy Day in Washington last week, the HCAOA VA Services Advisory Council met with the leadership of the VA Community Care Network at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs headquarters. The VA appreciated the time to learn about what providers are experiencing in the field.
If you were unable to attend Advocacy Day, please take a moment to complete a pre-drafted message to send to your elected officials. Send your message now!
Exciting News for Tennessee PSSAs - Governor Signs Medication Self-Administration Bill into Law4/24/2024 Last Friday, Gov. Bill Lee signed SB 1793 into law, allowing caregivers who have completed a competency-based training program to administer certain medications to individuals who are otherwise incapable of self-administration. HCAOA thanks the leadership of the Tennessee Chapter and all members who advocated and helped make this initiative a success by sending messages to their lawmakers as it moved through the Tennessee House. HCAOA also partnered with members of the Tennessee Association for Home Care (TAHC) to support this initiative.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have finalized the Medicaid Access Rule. HCAOA supports certain aspects of this rule; however, the 80/20 provision will cause many Medicaid providers to either curtail services or cease providing services entirely, resulting in reduced patient access.
Were you spotted on the Hill? Click here to view a photo gallery from Advocacy Day. Please feel free to download the photos posted on the photo gallery and reshare them on your social accounts and in your agency newsletters.
Last week, Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and JD Vance (R-OH) introduced the Continuous Skilled Nursing Quality Improvement Act of 2024 (S. 4122), a bipartisan initiative to address the needs of medically fragile children and adults who rely on continuous skilled nursing (CSN) services, also known as private duty nursing (PDN) services, to thrive at home.
Thank you to the more than 100 HCAOA members who traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to advocate for home care during the 2024 HCAOA National Home Care Advocacy Day! Over 100 meetings were held with members of Congress, personal connections were made, and existing ones strengthened allowing doors to be opened on important issues impacting home care.
As expected, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized their Medicaid Access Rule today. Among many other things, the rule includes a problematic provision that mandates that 80 percent of Medicaid reimbursement dollars paid to providers be allocated to caregiver wages. Although HCAOA supports certain aspects of this rule, the 80/20 provision will cause many Medicaid providers to either curtail services or cease providing services entirely, resulting in reduced patient access.
Today, HCAOA members and home care advocates from across the country are uniting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to urge our national lawmakers to support laws and policies that help make home care more affordable and more accessible for every American who needs it.
A recent article published in HealthAffairs emphasized how the COVID-19 pandemic strained the already fragile direct care workforce, which led to closures of vital home and community-based services (HCBS) providers and placed additional burdens on family caregivers. The federal government deployed short-term funding and flexibility through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to stabilize the workforce, resulting in improved wages and workforce initiatives. However, these gains are now in jeopardy as the enhanced federal funds are depleted. To address this, policymakers must act swiftly to preserve recent progress and enhance workforce stabilization efforts. Insights from interviews and focus groups across states underscore the need for higher wages, improved training and support systems, and meaningful worker engagement in program development. National Home Care Advocacy Day is next week, and plans are being finalized to make each HCAOA member’s visit memorable. Meetings with legislators are scheduled, and plans are set for the Welcome Reception on April 16 at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, HCAOA’s federal lobby firm. On April 17, a Breakfast Brief will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building Room 2325, followed by meetings with your members of Congress.
The special discounted rate at the Capital Hilton Hotel is good through Friday, March 29. Prices will increase, so secure your hotel reservation today to ensure you receive the best rate.
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