![]() The Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) congratulates Xavier Becerra on his Senate confirmation for the position of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary.
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![]() Acting in preparation of the potential extension of the federal tax deadline, Senator Paul Sarlo, the chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, introduced legislation (S-3564) that would extend the filing and payment deadline for state taxes as well. Now that the American Rescue Plan was signed by President Biden, the IRS could be acting to extend the April 15 deadline to May 15, 2021 and New Jersey should be prepared to align the schedules, Senator Sarlo said. Senator Sarlo also expressed concern about senior citizens who are most at risk from COVID-19, and often require assistance in preparing their returns and may not have access to or familiarity with internet services. ![]() The Illinois Department of Public Health launched the Vaccine Appointment Call Center to assist people who do not have access to or who have difficulty navigating online services in making appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. As Illinois begins to receive significantly more vaccine from the federal government and appointments become more widely available, this call center will be critical in bridging the digital divide and ensuring the vaccine reaches all communities. read more ![]() Yesterday, HCAOA’s Legislative Committee met to discuss federal and state legislative issues impacting home care organizations across the country. Congress passed the American Rescue Plan last week. One aspect of this bill especially important to the home care industry is the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) increase to 10 percent for states to make improvements to Medicaid home and community-based services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be holding a webinar on April 7 to talk more about this increase. CMS will send out guidelines to states in regard to the FMAP soon. ![]() Last week’s episode of the Post-Acute POV podcast, hosted by Navin Gupta, SVP of Home Care and Hospice, MatrixCare, featured HCAOA Executive Director, Vicki Hoak, to present a state of the union for home care and an update on where Gupta and Hoak see the industry headed in 2021. You can listen to the episode here. ![]() HCAOA has another free resource for our members! Check out the upcoming Agency Momentum webinar on April 21, “Learning How to Create Value Through Predictive Analytics.” Did you know that research shows collaboration between clinical and personal care providers can unlock lower-cost, higher-value care, especially for patients with chronic conditions? Data is the bridge that delivers vital population- and patient-level insights to clinicians at the point of care, so they can make informed, individualized clinical care decisions to provide better care and improve outcomes. ![]() The Department of Consumer Protection has agreed to withdraw from House Bill 6100 its proposed ban on home care agencies using any terms in advertising that describe services related to health care that require a license, such as memory support or Alzheimer’s and dementia care. HCAOA Connecticut and many individual HCAs vigorously opposed the ban, arguing in testimony and to lawmakers and department officials that agencies should be allowed to communicate accurate information to prospective clients and families that they offer various services, including non-medical memory support that ensures a safe and healthy environment in the elderly person’s home. The Department continues to assert that existing law provides authority to ban such advertising. The ban on use of such terms in business names of HCAs applying for a new registration has not been withdrawn. HCAOA Connecticut members can discuss this bill and other priorities affecting home care in appointments with their lawmakers at its Lobby Day next month. ![]() The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment issued revisions to the Wage Protection Rules, 7 CCR 1103-7, relating to Colorado employers’ paid sick leave obligations under the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA). The HFWA requires Colorado employers to provide at least 48 hours of paid sick and safe leave each year on either an accrual basis based on hours worked or frontloaded annually. read more Enrollment in private Medicare Advantage health plans is steadily increasing and benefit packages are evolving. For the third year, plans are allowed to offer non-medical supplemental benefits including in-home support services and adult day care. Where are these benefits being offered across the country and what do these benefits mean today for your organization and clients? Is there a longer-term opportunity to consider?
Do you still have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? HCAOA teamed up with the Black Coalition Against COVID-19 and Blackdoctor.org to sponsor an informative and engaging town hall that can be shared with direct care workers, residents and the public to tackle the difficult issues surrounding vaccinations for coronavirus. The Town Hall featured senior leadership from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a variety of nationally recognized experts including physicians from Meharry and Morehouse medical schools. HCAOA urges members to share this video with your caregivers.
![]() The Home Care Association of America (HCAOA) California Chapter received confirmation that a temporary workaround to the new Guardian system has been approved. Guardian is a new electronic data system, designed to streamline the background check process for all licensed care, including the TrustLine Registry, Home Care Aide Registry and Community Care Licensing staff. ![]() On February 25, 2021, Wisconsin enacted a new law designed to help reduce ambiguity regarding COVID-19-related liability. The statute, which became effective on February 27, 2021, gives certain entities broad immunity from civil liability related to COVID-19 unless they acted recklessly or engaged in wanton conduct or intentional misconduct. Read more The immunity applies to lawsuits filed after February 27, 2021, asserting claims that accrued on or after March 1, 2020. The immunity is in addition to any other applicable immunities that may be provided by law. Importantly, the immunity applies not only to employers with respect to workplace incidents of COVID-19, but also in many other contexts, including, for example, COVID-19-related lawsuits against long-term care providers (e.g., by their patients and/or patients’ families), retail establishments (e.g., by their customers), and universities (e.g., by their students). read more
![]() HCAOA is a proud partner of the "Count Me In" campaign, hosted by the COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Equity Project. You may have even seen our posts on social media leading up to the event launch. Be part of the Count Me In community and share your story for why COVID-19 vaccines are important to you! You can share your own story and find COVID-19 vaccine resources on the Count Me In website, here. |
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