Category: Advocacy

Upcoming One Care Shared Learning Conference

MassHealth and UMass Medical School are hosting a One Care Shared Learning Conference at three different locations across the state in early June.

June 3, 2014 June 10, 2014 June 18, 2014
7:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Springfield Marriott
2 Boland Way,
Springfield, MA 01103Register for the
Springfield Conference
Before May 23, 2014		 7:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Best Western Royal
Plaza – Marlborough
181 Boston Post Rd. W,
Marlborough, MA 01752Register for the
Marlborough Conference
Before May 27, 2014		 7:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Four Points by
Sheraton – Norwood
1125 Boston Providence Turnpike,
Norwood, MA 02062Register for the
Norwood Conference
Before June 4, 2014

This conference will focus on “Integration of Primary Care, Behavioral Health and Community Supports in Real Life Cases: Developing and Implementing Person-Centered Care for People with Complex Health Care Needs.”

Who should attend?

This conference is primarily for primary care providers (PCPs), behavioral health clinicians, long term services and supports (LTSS) providers – including home care agencies – and other community based organizations involved in One Care.

This conference will focus on the collaboration among the members of an integrated care team, focusing on each of their roles in developing and implementing person-centered care for people with complex health care needs. There are a limited number of spots available, and One Care plan staff and their contracted providers will be given priority.

To register for one of these conferences or for more information, visit www.mass.gov/masshealth/onecare/learning

Download the Conference Agenda(https://onecarelearning.ehs.state.ma.us/pdf/One-Care-Conference-Flyer-Agenda.pdf

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Advocacy Alert: Call and Email Your State Senator TODAY!

The budget amendments important to home care are up for debate today in the MA-State-HouseMassachusetts Senate.

The Home Care Alliance’s priority amendments include restoring the 20-percent rate cut for MassHealth home health visits past 60 days, creating a commission to study home health services and recommend oversight measures, and allowing MassHealth to continue their work to establish telehealth services provided by home care agencies.

We need calls and emails to be made NOW to senators to get support for the following amendments:

  • #684 – Senator Patricia D. Jehlen: Study Commission for Home Health Care Services and Oversight

Purpose: The Commonwealth is one of only five states without either licensure or a “determination of need” process for oversight of home health care. In recent years the Commonwealth has experienced rapid growth in the number of certified home health agencies. This proposal is in response to that growth and would help to identify the current number of home health agencies, services provided and available by region, and create recommendations for state oversight and quality standards.

  • #839 – Senator Kathleen O’Connor-Ives: Restoring Home Nursing Rates

Purpose: This budget language seeks to restore the MassHealth rate for home health nursing visits past 60 days of care to the payment level prior to the rate cut of December 1, 2008 so that patients with the most severe conditions can have their care continued and remain independent at home. This amendment creates a consistent rate for as long as an individual on MassHealth requires home health care.

  • #929 – Senator Richard T. Moore: Establishing Reimbursement for Telehealth Services Provided by Home Health Agencies

Purpose: Maintain language from the FY2014 budget that established MassHealth reimbursement for home telehealth services provided by a home health agency, immediately providing cost savings and more efficient care. MassHealth is in the process of building corresponding rates and guidelines.

The Alliance is also supporting the Homemaker Wage Increase (#683) and increased funding for the state’s elder services programs (#687).

A full update will be available when the Senate completes debate, but HCA members and advocates can still send an email to their state senator here and follow the Alliance on Twitter (@thinkhomecare) for updates.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

State Senate Proposes $36.2 billion Budget Plan with New Opportunities for Home Care

The Massachusetts Senate’s Ways & Means Committee took their turn in the state budget-crafting process with a $36.2 billion proposal that increases total state spending by almost $1.7 billion from this year.

Although some programs in the Elder Services line items took a hit, as did the MassHealth Senior Care Account, the Senate proposed other new items that pose potential opportunity.

In what is known as an “outside section,” which is a section of an appropriation bill that can create new policies, the Senate created a Home and Community-Based Services Policy Lab. According to the language, the policy lab would start with $500,000 of state funds to evaluate and analyze the outcomes and effectiveness of home and community-based services under the Secretary of Elder Affairs. This includes the state Home Care Program administered through Aging Service Access Points (ASAP’s) that contract with Home Care Alliance members.

This “policy lab,” which appears to be a program evaluation of state government-funded home and community-based services, could be the beginning of proving the effectiveness of services such as those provided by home care agencies. More information on this will be released as details are released.

Also, in another “outside section,” the Senate Ways & Means Committee created a new Community First Trust Fund, which is intended for enhanced federal financial participation (FFP) funding for the state that is tied to the Balanced Incentive Payment program (BIP), among other programs. In a previous blog post, the HCA reported on the state’s intentions around the BIP initiative that will bring more support to non-institutional long-term care services.

More budget analysis will come out in the coming days, including the Home Care Alliance’s budget amendment priorities where HCA members can help by contacting their state senators. The Alliance plans on repeating proposals to advance telehealth in home care, better MassHealth rates, and a study commission of home health care services and possible oversight recommendations.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

New Program Instruction Approved for Home Care Agencies Working with ASAPs

After more than a year of the Home Care Alliance and other stakeholders working with the state’s Executive Office of Elder Affairs, an updated Program Instruction (PI) for the state’s Aging Service Access Points working with home health agencies has been approved and will go into effect on May 1st.

The PI addresses a range of concerns that were raised around assessment, care planning, supervision, payment and   communication between the nurse at the home health agency and the corresponding Aging Service Access Point (ASAP).  It replaces some very outdated PI’s and is the product of several meetings and edits sent through countless emails

A workgroup consisted of Home Care Alliance staff, the Mass Home Care Aide Council, and staff from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs along with several ASAP directors and ASAP nurses.

The Home Care Alliance is very pleased with the updated direction from the state, which will improve communication and collaboration between home health agencies and ASAP’s.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Advocacy Alert: Help Gather Support for Home Care Budget Amendments

The Home Care Alliance’s priority amendments in the House budget now have numbers, which means you can email or call your state representative and easily ask that they support these important policies to advance home care services!

  • Amendment #968: Rep. Sean Garballey’s amendment to restore the MassHealth rate for home health nursing visits past 60 days of care to the payment level prior to December 1, 2008 so that patients with the most severe conditions can have their care continued and remain independent at home. MassHealth cut the rate once a person was receiving home nursing for more than 60 days, which runs counter to the state’s goal of keeping people in the community and driving down the cost of care.
  • Amendment #89: Rep. Kate Hogan’s amendment to study home health service capacity in the Commonwealth and recommend policy strategies for better state oversight of home care agencies. Massachusetts is one of only five states without either licensure or a “determination of need” process for home health agencies. In recent years the Commonwealth has experienced rapid growth in the number of certified home health agencies. This proposal is in response to that growth and would help to identify the current number of home health agencies and their licensure and ensure high levels of quality home care.
  • Amendment #491: Rep. John Mahoney and Rep. Mark Cusack’s amendment that would establish MassHealth reimbursement for telehealth services provided by home health agencies. This amendment was successfully passed in last year’s budget and this year’s version will ensure MassHealth is statutorily able to finish their work in creating a regulatory and reimbursement structure.
  • Amendment #775: Rep. James O’Day’s amendment to reestablish the Homemaker Wage Increase account. This appropriation would provide an annualized wage increase of approximately 75 cents an hour to over 17,000 homemakers and personal care homemakers.

Our Legislative Action Center makes it easy to advocate. Just click on the FY15 budget message, fill in your contact info, and hit send! The system will automatically send the message to your state representative.

You can also call 617-722-2000 and press “2” to speak to an operator in the House of Representatives to urge your State Rep to support amendments #89, #491, #775 and #968. You can use the talking points above when speaking to an aide or leaving a message.

Contact James Fuccione at the Alliance with any questions.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

House Ways & Means Releases Budget; Call Now To Support Amendments!

The state’s House Committee on Ways & Means this week released its proposed $36.2 billion fiscal year 2015 budget.

The House budget closely follows the Governor’s budget proposal in most line items related to home care providers, with slightly smaller allocations for MassHealth Senior Care Plans,boston-statehouse and EOEA Administration, and slightly more funding for local Councils on Aging. The House budget does not include the $1.2M Home Care Workforce Training Fund that was in the Governor’s budget.

Several legislative champions will be submitting amendments to the budget at the request of the Alliance. HCA members are encouraged to contact your local state representative TODAY and urge them to co-sponsor the budget priorities listed below.

A pre-written email is available on the Alliance’s Legislative Action webpage. For those choosing to call their local Representatives, please use the information below. Reps can offer formal support by contacting the office of the Representatives that are filing the amendments. Continue reading “House Ways & Means Releases Budget; Call Now To Support Amendments!”

State Awarded Grant to Rebalance Spending on Community-Based Services

MassHealth announced that they have been awarded a 2% increase in federal funding that will aim to re-balance spending towards community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS). The state’s project summary is available here.

The initiative is known as the Balancing Incentive Program, or BIP, and the enhanced federal funding is provided through Section 4002 of the Affordable Care Act. To participate, states must commit to achieving 50% spending on non-institutional LTSS by September 2015 and implementing structural changes to improve their long-term care system.

The enhanced funds for Massachusetts will be used to directly or indirectly increase offerings of or access to Medicaid-funded LTSS. The specific uses of the funding will be determined over the next several months through a stakeholder engagement process and negotiations with CMS.

The enhanced federal funding will run until September 30, 2015, and is intended to support Medicaid-funded, non-institutional long-term care services for individuals of all ages with physical, mental health developmental/intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

In a presentation to stakeholders, including the Home Care Alliance, MassHealth said they intend to develop a “No Wrong Door” system. This system is designed to strengthen partnerships across state agencies and processes so that people receive the services they need from whomever they need regardless of the state agency an individual makes initial contact with or is referred to first. The program will also set up new clinical assessment tools and is required to set up a “conflict-free” case management system.

In total, MassHealth expects at least an additional $85 million and as much as $110.6 million in enhanced federal funding. The Home Care Alliance is part of a stakeholder group to advise the state on how the financial assistance will be spent. A July 31 deadline has been set for the state to submit a work plan.

Stay tuned to our blog for updates and more information.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Responds to Proposed PCMH Standards

Following a public hearing and a request for feedback, the Home Care Alliance submitted comments on proposed standards for physician practices seeking designation as Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH).

The state’s Health Policy Commission (HPC), created in the state’s Health Care Cost Containment Law, is charged with developing and implementing standards of certification for PCMH in the Commonwealth and will be working to finalize the proposed criteria in the coming months.

The Alliance’s comments promoted the potential of partnerships with home care agencies based on their ability to help physician practices meet some of the proposed standards. The Alliance specifically suggested that PCMH certification require that physician practices meaningfully partner with at least two agencies for the lowest tier of the designation with higher numbers of partnerships in higher tiers. The HPC currently has Basic, Advanced, and Optimal levels of PCMH certification, which may change in name.

The purpose of the certification process is to complement existing local and national care transformation and payment reform efforts, validate value-based care, and promote investments by payers in efficient, high-quality and cost effective primary care.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Supporting Elder Lobby Day at State House

Although Home Care Alliance staff will be advocating for home health care in Washington DC on March 24-26, the HCA is still stepping up with support for an Elder Lobby Day at the State House on Monday, March 24th.

The Alliance is a sponsor for the event and will be well represented with Bayada Home Health Care, Associated Home Care and other agencies joining the following organizations and their representatives:

  • Mass Home Care
  • The Caring Force
  • Home Care Aide Council
  • AARP Massachusetts
  • Mass Senior Action Council
  • Mass Councils On Aging
  • Mass Human Services Provider’s Council
  • Mass Association of Older Americans
  • LGBT Aging Project
  • Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

A speaking program will take place between 11:00am and 2:00pm on March 24th at the Grand Staircase (second floor of the State House). Afterwards, attendees will be stopping by legislative offices to drop off information about their organizations and to advocate on elder policy issues.

For more information on the event, contact James Fuccione at the Alliance.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

See Our Previous Physician of the Year, and Nominate Your Own!

The Home Care Alliance is hosting the annual Home Care Innovation Showcase and STAR Awards on April 29th at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Among those the Alliance recognizes is a “Physician of the Year,” which is nominated by an agency or community partner and awarded to a physician or nurse practitioner who has demonstrated:

  • Active involvement in the homehealth field,
  • Outspoken support for health care delivered in the home; and
  • Longevity in the home health profession

Last year’s Physician of Year award winner was Dr. James Everett who is Medical Director for Hospice of the South Shore. He was nominated by the Hospice’s Director Barbara Karkos who lauded Dr. Everett’s collaborative nature.

HCA's 2013 Physician of the Year, Dr. James Everett
HCA’s 2013 Physician of the Year, Dr. James Everett

“Dr. Everett consistently combines compassion with clinical expertise, always working with us to ‘do the right thing’ for each patient and family,” said Karkos of Dr. Everrett. “He demonstrates true partnership in all of his interactions with the staff at Hospice, as well as with his colleagues in the community, and with patients and families he visits in the home.”

Karkos also touted Dr. Everett’s ability to be innovative in embracing new technology and improving processes, especially when it came to the “physician face-to-face” requirement.

The Home Care Alliance knows there are many “Dr. Everetts” out there and look forward to awarding the next Home Care Physician of the Year.

To nominate a physician, see our nomination form.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.