Tag: Home Health Care

House Approves Budget Plan with Little Support for Home Care

This week, the Massachusetts House of Representatives quickly buzzed through nearly 1,100 amendments to their FY2016 budget proposal and came out with roughly $38.1 billion spending plan.

The House included little from all corners of the advocacy spectrum and the same was true for home care. None of the Home Care Alliance’s priority items and many of those the organization supported were not advanced so HCA will be among many groups relying on the Senate to step up when their budget plan comes out early next month.

Among the items that were approved and supported by the HCA was an initiative to shape a comprehensive Mobile Integrated Health plan for the state, which named the Alliance to an advisory panel for that effort.

Also, $200,000 was approved for the Department of Higher Education’s “Nursing and Allied Health Workforce” account that has, in the past, spurred a home care nurse residency program. The Governor’s budget had zeroed out that line item.

Other notable items approved in the House budget include the following:

  • $8.8 million increase for MassHealth Nursing Home Supplemental Rates.
  • $500,000 for a pilot program in the “greater Quincy area” to implement a model of field triage of behavioral health patients under medical control by specially-trained emergency medical services providers and transport of appropriate, non-medically complex patients to a behavioral health site of care for most effective treatment rather than to an acute hospital emergency department.
  • $50,000 to establish Financial Abuse Specialist Teams (FAST) to improve the ability of elder protective services programs to investigate and respond to reports of financial exploitation.
  • $750,000 for the Meals on Wheels program, which brought that item to $7.1 million – still below the Governor’s proposed funding for that initiative.
  • A prospective, global payment pilot program established under MassHealth under which Medicaid contracts with risk-bearing provider organizations for the provision and coordination of health care services for their attributed members beginning not later than September 1, 2016. The pilot would require that such risk-bearing provider organizations shall be able to provide coordinated care through the provider’s network of primary care providers and that such providers shall have experience and demonstrated capabilities to provide behavioral health services including psychiatric and substance abuse beds. Under the proposed program, Medicaid shall reimburse such providers on a prospective monthly basis provided that these organizations obtained a risk certificate or a waiver from the Division of Insurance.

Stay tuned to learn more about HCA’s advocacy around the Senate budget process and how you can weigh in to support better rates for visiting nurses, home health aides, and other workers along with establishing a commission to study private pay home care oversight options.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

 

Advocacy Alert: Email State Reps to Gain Support for Home Care in the House Budget!

The Home Care Alliance has been busy working with state representatives to file amendments to the recently released House version of the state’s FY16 budget. Now that those proposals are submitted, it is time to gain crucial support by asking other reps to cosponsor these amendments.

The amendments include the following proposals:

  • An increase in MassHealth rates for visiting nurses (filed by Rep. Sean Garballey)
  • Creating a commission to study state oversight options for private-pay home care agencies (filed by Rep. Mark Cusack)
  • An increase in MassHealth rates for home health aide services (filed by Rep. Chris Walsh)
  • A study of MassHealth’s Third Part Liability Billing process (filed by Rep. Paul Brodeur)

Agencies and advocates can send an email through HCA’s Advocacy Center just by clicking on the message, filling out the contact info form, and hitting “send.” The message will automatically shoot off to the correct Representative based on the address you enter.

Private pay home care agencies can send their own message for just the Study Commission language here, or a message can be sent for all the Alliance’s priorities here.

Any questions can be directed to James Fuccione at the Alliance.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

FY16 State Budget Plan Released by House

The House Committee on Ways & Means released their version of the state’s fiscal year 2016 budget with most accounts important to home care level funded. Out of the $38 billion in the proposed budget, $15.3 billion is spent on MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program.

Since language proposed by the Home Care Alliance to establish a commission to study options for agency oversight was not included, the HCA will be working with state representatives to file amendments to the budget for a number of items, including establishing commissions to study and make recommendations on state oversight options for private pay agencies and certified agencies. The Alliance will also be seeking an increase of $3.1 million in payment rates for home health aides as well as a restoration of MassHealth home health nursing rates.

The Alliance will also be supporting a number of budget amendments spearheaded by other organizations to raise home care worker wages, seek relief from the impending paid sick time mandate and restore the line item funding the Nursing and Allied Health Education Workforce Development program.

Additionally, the Alliance will support efforts to increase funding for elder home care purchased services from Aging Service Access Points. The House Ways & Means budget reduced that line item from what the Governor proposed earlier this year by more than $3 million.

Stay tuned as the Alliance will be sending out advocacy alerts on how agencies and advocates can urge support of these important issues.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org

 

HCA’s 2014 Clinician of the Year Begins a New Tradition

2014 Clinician of the Year is our Resource Guide Cover Girl!

In what will be a new Home Care Association of MA tradition, our 2015 Home Health Resource Directory features on the cover our 2014 Clinician of the Year.  She is  Pauline Knight, RN, Hospice Nurse, Circle Home, Inc., Lowell.  Pauline was recognized last April at our Annual Innovations and Star Awards ceremony. Nominations are open for this year’s awards.   Maybe your nurse or therapist could be make our 2016 cover.  For nomination and event information, go here.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Federal Lawsuit on Face-to-Face Rule Moving Forward

In a major win for home health agencies across the country, a federal district court determined that they will hear a legal challenge presented by the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) to the validity of the physician narrative portion of the face-to-face requirement.

According to NAHC, the court issued an order denying Medicare’s effort to have the lawsuit dismissed by the court. The face-to-face requirement (F2F) was troublesome and frustrating from the outset as CMS released no standardized form for providers to follow and provider education was insufficient at best. It took constant advocacy and education on the state and local levels and strong lobbying on the federal level from state and national home care associations and agencies to even call attention to the problem.

The physician narrative where physicians must write a detailed account of patient eligibility for home health care services proved to be the paramount concern. Although the new final rule effective 1/1/2015 removes the narrative piece of the requirement, NAHC will continue to litigate the dispute to address the past claim denials and those denials that may still come involving home health services provided prior to January 1, 2015. If the lawsuit is successful, Medicare would be required to reopen and pay any claim previously denied for an insufficient narrative and stop any further claim reviews related to the narrative requirement.

NAHC and the Home Care Alliance continue to advise home health agencies to consider appealing any narrative-related claim denials while the lawsuit is progressing. Such action will preserve the opportunity to have the claims reviewed by Administrative Law Judges and also allow for easy identification of claims that may be subject to reopening if the lawsuit is successful.

The Alliance will also continue to provide education and updates on the new rule, including an upcoming webinar in early February. The Alliance helped lead the effort on a letter from New England Senators to CMS on F2F reviews and is out front with notices to physicians and hospitals on the recent rule changes.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Ad Campaign with CBS-Boston Underway

Thanks to the sponsorship of six Alliance members, the HCA’s shared advertising campaign is off and running through the months of December and January.

AllCare VNA & Hospice, Circle Home, CareTenders, Comfort Keepers, Home Instead Senior Care and South Shore VNA will be featured on WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV as well as on the CBS-Boston website in certain areas of the state. Viewers will see shared ads from these six agencies and the Alliance along with a PSA featuring tips on choosing a home care provider.

The video clips of these ads are available below:

Ad 1: CareTenders – Comfort Keepers

Ad 2: Circle Home – South Shore VNA

Ad 3: All Care VNA – Home Instead Senior Care

Home Care Alliance Healthwatch PSA

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

HCA Blasts Governor for Pulling MassHealth Rate Increase

After years of working with MassHealth on an update to home health care payment rates, and after learning that the rate increase was set, the Governor pulled the payment boost as part of his recent budget-balancing plan.

The Home Care Alliance delivered a letter to the Governor blasting the decision as part of a “failure to recognize home health care as a vital part of the health care continuum.” The letter noted that rates have not been increased since 2007 and were cut in 2008 for some of the state’s most vulnerable patients that receive home health care services. At that time, payment was cut by 20 percent for services lasting beyond 60 calendar days of care. This, according to the letter, essentially means that “agencies are being reimbursed in 2014 at rates set in 2007 and cut in 2008.” Moreover, the rates were already well below the cost of providing care that brings MassHealth savings by preventing or delaying costlier facility-based care.

Part of the hand-off to incoming Governor-elect Charlie Baker was to slash a state budget deficit of $239 million. From that amount, $68.5 million came from MassHealth services. Although MassHealth home health services were not directly cut, the payment rate being pulled was a blow to agencies and advocates that heard only a week earlier that the rate increase was set for March 1, 2015.

The administration had planned for a $8 million increase, although it was unclear how that funding was going to be implemented.

“Due to recent revenue shortfalls, agencies across state government were required to make difficult choices in order to maintain a balanced budget,” said Health and Human Services spokesman Alec Loftus in a statement to State House News Service. “We took a thoughtful approach to ensure that our most critical programs that help children, families, veterans and our most vulnerable populations are protected.”

As with 2008, the “thoughtful approach” did not include the cost-efficiency home health services bring to the table. Nor does it take into account the money agencies lose every time a nurse goes to a patient’s home to provide care because the cost of providing services far exceed reimbursement.

The Home Care Alliance will continue to make MassHealth payment a policy priority through the state budget process.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

Boston Globe Names HCA Member Agencies as ‘Top Places to Work’

Home care is a tough and rewarding career, but now working for a home care agency could be one of the best places to be employed in general.

Several Home Care Alliance member agencies made a strong showing on the Boston Globe’s “Top Places to Work 2014,” where employee satisfaction surveys are used to judge how well companies treat their workers. This methodology propelled four agencies to be recognized on the annual list.

Comfort Home Care earned the top spot under the “large employer” category with an employee amount between 250 to 999.

In the “mid-size” company rankings with an employee number between 100 and 249 workers, three home care agencies made the list: Visiting Angels of Newton and Canton (#6), Able Home Care (#22), and Community Nurse & Hospice Care (#31).

Among the survey statements are the following:

■ Direction: “I have confidence in the leader of this company.”

■ Execution: “New ideas are encouraged at this company.”

■ Connection: “My job makes me feel like I am part of something meaningful.”

■ Management: “My manager cares about my concerns.”

■ Work: “This company encourages different points of view.”

■ Pay and benefits: “My pay is fair for the work I do.”

■ Engagement: “This company motivates me to give my very best at work.”

The Globe invited 1,660 companies to participate in the 2014 Top Places to Work survey. Of those, 366 organizations employing more than 336,000 people went all the way through the process, allowing the Globe to conduct a confidential survey of their workers.

The Home Care applauds the agencies in the “Top Places to Work” ranking and all agencies that keep people healthy and independent at home.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

CDC, Mass DPH Release Updated Ebola Guidance for Healthcare Workers

On October 20th, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released stricter guidance on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) recommended for healthcare workers treating patients with the Ebola virus.

The new enhanced guidance from CDC is centered on three principles:

  • All healthcare workers undergo rigorous training and are practiced and competent with PPE, including putting it on and taking it off in a systemic manner
  • No skin exposure when PPE is worn
  • All workers are supervised by a trained monitor who watches each worker putting PPE on and taking it off.

These principles and other guidance listed on the new advisory appear to be geared towards healthcare facilities and are based on lessons learned from those hospitals and clinics that have treated Ebola cases in the US thus far, including Emory University Hospital, Nebraska Medical Center and National Institutes of Health Clinical Center.

Also on October 20th, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and Boston Public Health Commission released updated clinical guidance on sending in patient specimens for laboratory testing for suspected Ebola cases. According to DPH, prior to sending a sample, the facility should consult the MDPH Hinton State Laboratory Institute for specimen collection, handling, packaging and transport advice via the 24/7 lab number (617-590-6390).

More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.

One Care Initiative Hosting Webinar on Independent LTS Coordinators

The One Care demonstration project that coordinates and combines services for dually eligible individuals in Massachusetts hosts periodic webinars to educate the One Care Plans as well as service providers to help the program be successful.

The latest in that series is a free webinar on the role of the Long Term Services and Supports Coordinator, which will take place on Thursday, September 18th from noon to 1:00pm. During this webinar, the One Care Learning Team will discuss making referrals to Independent Living and Long-Term Services (LTS) and Supports Coordinators, ways to explain this role to One Care enrollees, and the benefits of engaging LTS Coordinators on Interdisciplinary Care Teams. An overview of the vision of MassHealth for the role of LTS Coordinator will be outlined and highlighted with examples of how LTS Coordinators are working with enrollees and interdisciplinary care teams.

Check out this video for an overview of the Independent Living LTSS Coordinator role and meet two of the webinar presenters.

Previous webinars have been recorded and can be viewed here.

Return to www.thinkhomecare.org.