Question on S.445 Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act. Do bill numbers change? I see that it was a different number in correspondence last November. Maybe they do but just checking before I call to ask support on a wrong bill number. Here is an email from last November:

Linda

Folks:

I heard today from Sen. Schumer’s office that our advocacy is working – and that the Senator is seriously considering S.578/H.R.1342 (the "Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act”) on his list of priorities for the lame-duck session of Congress!!! His office indicated that our advocacy rush has captured the Senator’s notice! We have already sent over 400 messages – from my members in New York who have written him about the bill using our Legislative Action Center. Today we sent out another message to our members letting them know that their advocacy is gaining traction – and to ask that they continue sending messages.

Below is our alert to HCA’s members. To keep this up – I ask for your help: First – if you could have your members weigh in with your Senate Offices on this bill that would be great. In particular, Senate Finance Members are crucially important to communicate to!

Also, if you don’t have a Legislative Action Network – use ours! (http://p2a.co/U4PrIKi If Senator Schumer sees a few hundred messages from folks in other states – that’s great too! We can bring this home if we keep it up!

Feel free to cut and paste anything in our message for your own. Let’s do this!!!!

Joanne Cunningham

President

Home Care Association of NYS (HCA)

P/F: 518.810.0664 | 518.810.3538 (cell)

From: mhcabod@list.mnhomecare.org [mailto:mhcabod@list.mnhomecare.org] On Behalf Of Kathy Messerli
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2017 2:30 PM
To: mhcabod@list.mnhomecare.org
Subject: ED Update

Operations/Membership

Membership: As of April 1, 23 memberships lapsed due to non-payment. Of those, 3 have paid and at least 1 is in the process of renewing. The Membership Team and staff will continue communications with the remaining agencies. We also gained another new member that is affiliated with one of them – to ensure RCTC access.
Dues re-structuring: I am in the process of contacting the nine largest agency members regarding the 2018 changes and a letter will go to all primary contacts as soon as I reach these nine – hopefully by next week.
Website: Mandy and I met with 3 consultants and I am currently negotiating with one of them on pricing. We will be recruiting a few members to participate in a website workgroup – to ensure the member’s perspective is included in the process.

Advocacy

State

You will find a brief status update in Kevin’s video that will was included in today’s Informer. The Legislative Team also met today and Kevin shared that although the Best Life Alliance bill didn’t make it in the Omnibus Bill, they are still discussing options for some direct staff wage increase.

Federal

Last week was a good week for Medicare!! Check out today’s Informer for CoP and PCR news. The Council of States had the opportunity to talk with CMS policy staff via conference call last Friday. NAHC and a few home care executives also met with CMS Administrator Verma. We continue work on opening the lines of communication and encouraging consideration of F2F and PCR changes. Also, I was in contact with Senator Klobuchar’s office last week and she has agreed to sign onto S. 445 Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2017 – allowing NPs and PAs to sign home care orders. I have not heard back from Sen Franken’s office so additional communication from members would be helpful.

Kathy Messerli

Executive Director | Minnesota HomeCare Association

2550 University Ave. W., Ste. 350 S | St. Paul, MN 55114-1900

Direct: 651.635.0038 | Main: 651.635.0607

Toll-free: 866.607.0607 | Fax: 651.635.0043