Category: Advocacy

HCA Board Sends FMAP Letter to Scott Brown

The Home Care Alliance Board of Directors has sent a letter to US Senator Scott Brown, joining advocates and health providers from across Massachusetts who are urging Congressional support for an extension of Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funds.

Massachusetts is one of 30 states relying on the federal matching funds for MassHealth and has already budgeted for the money as part of the state budgeting process. Many US Senators, including Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, are against the extension with a belief that it would add to the federal deficit.

Unlike the federal government, Massachusetts must present a balanced budget at the end of the fiscal year. Governor Deval Patrick announced that the budget would have to be reduced another 3.6% if the matching funds are not approved and state legislative leaders are preparing for a scenario where the federal matching funds would not be available.

The Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAPs) are used in determining the amount of Federal matching funds for State expenditures for assistance payments for certain social services, and State medical and medical insurance expenditures. This year, such funds are worth at least $608 million to Massachusetts.

A message is available on the HCA’s Legislative Action Network that can be sent to federal elected officials. Just scroll down until you see the FMAP message under the “Medicaid” heading.

Contact Senator Brown’s office to urge that he support the FMAP extension.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Help Get Teleheath Review in Final State Budget

The Home Care Alliance has sent letters to all members of the state legislature’s conference committee, including the two chairs of Ways & Means, that is charged with hammering out differences in the budget proposals of the House and Senate.

The Senate budget contained an outside section, Amendment #607, which directs the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative to conduct a review of the effectiveness of telehealth on patients with chronic conditions. Help advocate to keep that amendment in the final version of the state’s budget by emailing the members of the conference committee! You can also call using the contact info on each legislators web page:

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Nurse Delegation Bill Continues to Move Forward

The Home Care Alliance’s “Nurse Delegation” bill, S.860, has been reported to the Senate Committee on Ethics and Rules, which is the last step before the bill can be debated before the full Senate.

In an effort to have the bill reported out as quickly as possible with the legislative calendar coming to a close, the Alliance has already sent a letter to the committee’s chairman, Senator Frederick E. Berry.

A new message is posted on HCA’s Legislative Action Center for those who reside in the district of a committee member. Just click the message “Please Advance S.860 for Better Home Health,” fill out the form with your contact info, review the message and send it off.  You may also call the committee chairman’s office at 617-722-1410.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Help Support HCA Senate Budget Amendments

Help us stand up for home health and home care!

The Home Care Alliance has two major priorities filed in the Senate budget, which will be debated this week.

Please call your State Senator today, or send them an email, and urge them to support the following amendments:

  • #607 filed by Senator Richard T. Moore to establish a telehealth pilot program that would care for 100 patients for one year and would promote the cost-saving and quality benefits of home monitoring technology for patients who have required or will require care of high frequency or long duration.

HCA has an email message uploaded to our Legislative Action page that are ready to be sent. All you have to do is type in your contact information and the advocacy system will identify your senator and show the message you can send.


Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

QCC Sets and Reviews Goals Scorecard

The Massachuetts Quality and Cost Council (QCC)  has begin to track progress against six goals established by the Council pursuant to their charge as established in Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006.  The Goals Scorecard includes measures around improving the screening for and management of chronic illness in the community and developing new measures to track progress in adhering to patients’ wishes at end of life.  The latter will include tracking – as recommended by the state’s Expert Panel on End of Life care – the percentage of hospitals,  SNFs and home health agencies with palliative care programs.  The Advisory Committee to the QCC will seek input on these goals, and the associated measures,  at their May meeting.  What is your feedback?

New Federal Bill Would Ensure Timely Access to Home Care Services

Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz of Pennsylvania has submitted a major legislative priority of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) that would help ensure home health patients have timely access to care services.

The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (H.R. 4993) would allow nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists to order home health services. For more information, see NAHC’s  fact sheet or click the link to the bill language above.

Help advocate by calling the office your Congressional representative to have them sign on. If you are unsure who represents you in the US House, click here and enter your zip code in the top left hand corner.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

New Jersey Nurse Delegation Pilot Program

William Ditto, Director of Disability Services for New Jersey’s Department of Human Services, presented the progress of his state’s “nurse delegation” pilot program at a legislative briefing hosted by the Home Care Alliance.

The briefing centered around S.860, An Act Relative to Home Health Aides, which would allow nurses to delegate the administration of certain medications to home health aides in the home setting.

For more info on New Jersey’s pilot program, see the William Ditto Presentation.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Nurse Delegation Progresses

In an executive session, the legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing reported out S.860, An Act Relative to Home Health Aides favorably. It is not yet determined where the legislation will progress to, but the proposal is still very much alive and moving forward. Stay tuned on how to keep the momentum going!

The Home Care Alliance’s legislative briefing on the bill was well attended by HCA members, representatives from supporting organizations and legislative staff.

Senator Richard Moore, the legislation’s sponsor, welcomed attendees and presented an overview of the issue of “nurse delegation” as seen from his perspective as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. His remarks are available on HCA’s YouTube page.

HCA Executive Director Patricia Kelleher continued on Senator Moore’s thoughts and introduced Margo Bourne from the VNA of Boston who spoke about a specific patient case where nurse delegation would be a huge benefit. Rigney Cunningham from the Hospice and Palliative Care Federation of MA also presented the hospice side of nurse delegation and how removing the barrier to allow aides to administer certain medications would mean better delivery of hospice services.

The featured speaker for the event was William Ditto, Director of Disability Services for New Jersey’s Department of Human Services. New Jersey is running a Nurse Delegation Pilot Program and he spoke about some of the successes, progress and speed bumps that have been a part of that experience.  A few thoughts from Mr. Ditto are also available on HCA’s YouTube page.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Chronic Care Management And Home Care

Yesterday more than 40 Alliance members participated in a workshop on making the business care for home care to be at the enter of efforts to introduce better management of chronic illness to the US health care system.   Beth Hennessey of Baptist Home Care provided the agency template for matching the core competencies of home care to the policy and programmatic changes that are envisioned in federal health care insurance and delivery system reform.

One take away message is that Massachusetts may see opportunities in this area even quicker than the rest of the country as this state is moving into Phase II of reform (system realignment) while most other states are still on Phase I (universal coverage).   An immediate challenge to home care to deliver services in a new and different way may well present itself when the state releases its RFP – this spring or summer – for a broad Medical Home pilot.

All home care agencies should be familiar with the state’s plans – as described in their Patient Centered Medical Home Framework for Design and Implementation. Help physicians to see how a new home care partnership can make a medical home work.

– Pat Kelleher

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Help HCA Gain Support for Budget Priorities in the House

The Home Care Alliance has two major budget priorities in the House and the push for gaining support from state representatives has begun!

Please visit our Legislative Action Center and send a pre-written message to your state representative. All you have to do is fill out the form with your contact information, click “submit” and the message you are sending will pop up with the legislator who will receive your email message. It takes less than a minute to help HCA gain vital support for amendments to:

  • Restore MassHealth home nursing rates past 60-days of care (House Amendment #135 submitted by Rep. Joseph Driscoll) and
  • Establish a tele-health demonstration project (House Amendment #289 submitted by Rep. Alice Wolf)

Last year, more than 1,000 email messages were sent during the House and Senate budget debates and you can help us beat that this year!

You can also call your state representative using our fact sheet as a guide to verbally ask for their support of HCA amendments. If you’re unsure who your state representative is, click here to find out.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.