House of Reps Votes to Fund Key Home Care and Hospice Programs

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The House of Representatives completed their work on Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), allocating $96 billion to HHS for FY21. This funding is separate from the Medicare and Medicaid programs as those are considered mandatory spending and not subject to the annual appropriations process. Following is a summary […]

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ACTION ALERT: Tell the Senate to Include HCBS in COVID-19 Relief Legislation!

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On Tuesday August 4th TAKE ACTION! Tell the U.S. Senate to Include Home and Community Based Services in COVID-19 Relief Bills! #WeAreEssential Now, more than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, home-based care and community services (HBCS) have come to the forefront as a way to keep those at the highest risk for the virus at home while receiving the care they need under the watchful eye of […]

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House Approps Cmte Approves New Funding for Home Care Services

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The House of Representatives’ Appropriations Commttee approved $96 billion in discretionary federal spending for fiscal year 2021, including key funds for home and community-based services, family caregiving, and respite care. The approved funds relevant to care in the home include: Home and Community Based Services: $400 million ($10 million increase from FY2020) – This program […]

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NAHC to Senate: New COVID-19 Relief Must Include Medicaid Home Care Services

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The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has joined a prestigious group of like-minded organizations urging the United States Senate to include Medicaid Home and Community Based Services in the next COVID-19 relief package. The letter, signed by NAHC and an amazing 251 other organizations, urges Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY), […]

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NAHC to Senate: More Support for Medicaid and Home-Based Services

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The National Association for Home Care and Hospice have joined several other organizations in urging Senate leaders to protect and bolster access to care and delivery systems that disabled and older Americans rely on. With the aging and disability communities facing unique risks of COVID-19 infection, additional resources and supports are necessary for their protection. […]

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NAHC: Include Medicaid HCBS Providers in COVID Relief Funds

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The National Association for Home Care & Hospice and the Partnership for Medicaid Home-Based Care have written to Secretary Alex Azar of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ask the Department to include Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) providers in the next round of funding from the Public Health and Social […]

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Home Care Stalwarts Casey, Dingell Introduce Bill to Protect Seniors, Disabled, Caregivers from Coronavirus

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NAHC supports this legislation to protect home care workers and allow seniors to receive care in the home. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), the ranking member on the Senate Select Committee on Aging, and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) have introduced legislation in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives to protect senior citizens, the […]

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CMS Wants Members for New Technical Expert Panels

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is looking for members to serve on two Technical Expert Panels (TEPs) – a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Measures TEP and a Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Scorecard Measures Gap Development TEP. CMS has contracted with The Lewin Group (Lewin) to work on a […]

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Transportation and Internet Barriers Limit Rural Access to Home Health

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Patients in rural parts of the United States often have difficulty accessing home health care and other home-and community-based services (HCBS), according to a new study published earlier this month in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. The study indicates that HCBS should save money for state Medicaid agencies, but barriers, particularly in […]

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House of Representatives Approves Short-Term Extension of Key Medicaid Programs

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On Monday, March 25th the House of Representatives approved H.R.1839, the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act of 2019, another short-term extension of the Medicaid Money Follows the Person program, and an extension of the spousal impoverishment protections under Medicaid home and community based services (HCBS). As detailed in the NAHC Report, the Money Follows […]

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NAHC Urges Congress to Support Legislation to Move People to HCBS

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The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) has joined a coalition of like-minded organizations in calling on Congress to pass the bipartisan EMPOWER Care Act (“Ensuring Medicaid Provides Opportunities for Widespread Equity, Resources, and Care Act”) (S. 2227/H.R. 5306), which would extend and improve the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Rebalancing demonstration program. […]

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House Approves Key Bill to Extend Money Follows the Person, Spousal Impoverishment Protection

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On Tuesday, December 11th, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation reauthorizing two Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) programs and established a new Medicaid program designed to move pediatric patients with medically complex conditions from institutional settings into community settings. Titled the Improving Medicaid Programs and Opportunities for Eligible Beneficiaries (IMPROVE) Act (H.R. […]

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