Our 2020 Annual Report highlights the Alliance and Foundation’s achievements over the past 12 months.
Responding to COVID
Since the onset of the pandemic and the declarations of federal and state emergencies, the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts shifted much of its attention and resources to COVID-19-related membership support. To that end,
the Alliance:
- Was the first state to create guidelines for members—both medical and non-medical—admitting COVID-positive patients. This guidance was adopted by many other states and shared by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)
- Offered regular calls for CEOs of certified and private care agencies to share and learn from each other, as well as calls for clinical directors, HR mangers, and hospice directors
- Published more than 50 COVID Updates, a new publication exclusively for our members
- Advocated for, and secured, multiple Medicaid waivers, including full payment for remote visits, waiver of certain in-home assessment requirements, and allowance of a remote audio-visual face-to-face (F2F)
- Successfully advocated for non-medical home care services to be deemed “essential” to continue operations in the early days of the pandemic as the Baker Administration was issuing business closures
- Worked with MassHealth on guidance to keep telehealth waivers permanent
- Hosted more than a dozen webinars on topics such as: accessing the PPP program, documenting telehealth visits for payment, unemployment and COVID, the CARES ACT, and Medicare stimulus funding
- Advocated with the state for COVID support funding, resulting in Massachusetts being among the most generous states in passing federal Medicaid money to agencies in the form of 10% rate increases for home health, 20% rate increases for continuous skilled nursing, and 10% provider payment relief for providers in the State Home Care Program
- Answered hundreds of member regulatory questions related to the pandemic
- Developed and hosted a COVID-19 Resource page that includes Allied member COVID resource services, generating more than 1,500 page views between March and August
- Secured Board of Registration in Nursing clarification, assuring that the federal change related to NPs and home health services will remain operative in Massachusetts after the State of Emergency
- Worked with MassHealth on the new agency-directed PCA model program
- Coordinated strategy with the Home Care Aide Council on expanded services and increased funding in the EOEA home care program
- Worked with the Massachusetts Medical Society to educate physicians about audio-visual F2F assessment requirements
- Worked with assisted living facilities and other acute and post-acute providers to educate them on the federal temporary changes to the Medicare homebound requirement
- Worked with the Betsy Lehman Center on an infection control training and toolbox for use in homemaker and aide training
Other 2019-2020 Work
Among the member supportive services over the past twelve months, the Alliance and Foundation have:
- Moved the entire Spring Conference and Trade Show to a virtual platform available to members on demand
- Offered members a one-time 15% dues discount
- Worked with state legislators and other stakeholders to advance an effective non-medical home care licensure bill; Legislation is unlikely to be signed into
- law prior to the end of the 2020 Legislative Session
- Produced a series of videos for our website and for members’ use on working with Private Care home care agencies
- Provided Get Out the Home Care Vote materials for members to use with their employees
- Hosted an EVV vendor webinar series
- Hosted multiple sessions on operating under the PDGM payment system
- Hosted a virtual Home Care Aide Recognition Day, engaging more than 1,000 people on Facebook and Twitter, honoring 120 aides from member agencies
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