Once again on 4/5/12 the Senate Health and Human Services omnibus bill was heard in the Senate Finance Committee for the second time, and an amendment was successfully added to the bill that delays the 20% PCA relative wage cut until July 1, 2013. Please see the section on the Senate Health and Human Services Omnibus bill (below) for the status of this bill.

It is my understanding that this amendment will restore the cut that took effect on Friday, March 23, 2012 meaning any hours worked on 3/23/12 going forward will now be reimbursed at 100% for any PCA who is an immediate family member of their assigned client(s).

Here is the link to the actual bill. You’ll need to scroll down to the bill number 2093. If you click on the PCA Update link on the top it will take you to the summary. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

http://mnccd.org/?page_id=181#pca

Thank you

Honest Tesha I Chief Operating Officer

Caring Professionals Homecare.
Office:+651. 789.2299
Mobile:+651.343.3209
Fax:+651.306.1359
Email:htesha@mycaringpro.com
Website:www.mycaringpro.comBill restores pay for related Care Attendants

http://www.longtermscorecard.org/DataByState/State.aspx?state=MN

The State Capitol Complex and the negotiations remain “closed” to the public. With very little specific detail being shared before a final agreement is announced, we have heard that the HHS bill includes the following things that were agreed to at a “global” level:
• Provide $556 million in additional “revenue” for HHS above the legislative targets. This would bring the legislative “cut” target down from $1.6 billion to about $1.05 billion.
• A statement that the global agreement would protect 140,000 Minnesotans from losing health care, indicates that the MA Early Expansion that the legislature had proposed eliminating will be bought-back. This expansion allowed for Medical Assistance coverage for adults without dependent children.
• Also, the position that the agreement protects against long-term care cuts that would have forced 1,500 elderly and disabled people into more expensive nursing homes rather than home and community-based services, indicates that the alternative Personal Care Assistant (PCA) program may be included for funding. This program would help alleviate the impact on those clients that will lose PCA services because of eligibility changes.
• We are hearing that the agreement protects against cuts to mental health treatment funding that result in increased numbers of people with mental illness in our jails, emergency rooms and psychiatric hospitals. I believe this is most likely the proposed cuts to Adult Mental Health Grants, and indicates that cuts of that magnitude will not be included in the final agreement.
• A statement that the agreement protects against a drastic reduction in medical education and research funding tells us that proposed MERC funding cuts will be reduced from the legislative proposals, but some level of cuts will remain.
• The position that the agreement protects against a 50% cut to women’s primary health care services (family planning) is most likely referring to the proposed cuts to the Family Planning Special Project Grants, indicating that level of cuts are not in the final agreement.
• Finally, a statement that the agreement protects substantial funding for Department of Health Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) which aims to help Minnesotans live longer, healthier lives by reducing the burden of chronic disease and reduce long term healthcare costs indicates that SHIP funding will remain, but not at its previous level.
We are viewing the above list as a preview of the final HHS bill, as these items represent highlights in the legislation. The detailed program funding for the remainder of the agreement will be announced soon. As soon as we have more information, we will communicate it to you.

“Hi, this is Caring Professionals Homecare with an important update for all clients and employees.

As you may already know, the State of Minnesota does not have an approved budget to fund the operations of state government for the fiscal year that begins on July 1, 2011. While courts are deciding what is considered critical services and while we wait for a final approved budget, please DO NOT PANIC.

We would like to our staff to continue working with their assigned clients and document hours worked on timecards as normal. Caring Professionals Homecare remains financially sound and will keep operating during these uncertain times. We will update you accordingly. Thank you.”

-Caring Professionals Homecare Administration

 Governor Dayton has amended his position on provider payments during a possible shut-down –it would appear that we should fall under this amended list that was sent to the AG.  Let’s hope the court agrees with his recommendation (they probably will) –we may not be impacted by the shut down based on this latest update.  See text below and actual link to the official website of Governor Dayton:

 Tomorrow, Gov. Mark Dayton will file a supplemental response to the petition of the Attorney General in Ramsey County District Court that expands the list of critical human services that would be continued in the event of a government shutdown.
 
The Governor’s original response, filed June 15, noted that benefits to individuals in health and economic assistance programs are critical because they are necessary to prevent an immediate threat to public health and safety. The original response did not include provider payments necessary to support these services.
 
“After consultation with seniors and other vulnerable Minnesotans served by our programs, we recognize the lack of assured provider payments could indeed lead to life threatening situations,” Commissioner Lucinda Jesson said. “The Governor’s legal filing and contingency plans will be refined to reflect this.”
 
In addition to provider payments, Gov. Dayton will also advise the Court that he intends to allow newly eligible people to enroll in those programs.
 
Programs covered by this announcement include Medicaid (Medical Assistance), MFIP/DWP, General Assistance, Minnesota Supplemental Aid, Refugee Cash Assistance, Group Residential Housing, MinnesotaCare, Food Support, Minnesota Food Assistance Program, and Adoption Assistance. 

 http://mn.gov/governor/newsroom/pressreleasedetail.jsp?id=102-13681

 Matthew C. Dewey  I President

- Grooming
- Dressing
- Bathing
- Transferring
- Mobility
- Positioning
- Eating
- Toileting

Level 1 Behavior is behavior that requires the immediate response of another person, has occurred in the last 12 months, and involves at least one of the following:

- Physical aggression towards self
- Physical aggression towards others
- Destruction of property

Starting July 1, 2011, Minnesota will require a person to be dependent on two ADLs in order to receive PCA services. According to the PACER Center, the state is expected to reassess all recipients of PCA services between January 1 and June 30, 2011, except for those who receive PCA services through a waiver program or the Alternative Care Program.

http://www.ncoa.org/public-policy/health-care-reform/straight-talk-for-seniors-on.html

- The number of Americans over age 65 is expected to grow 3% each year over the next decade.

- In the same period, senior citizens will grow from 13% of the population to over 16%, an increase of 14 million people.

- Over 83% of people who die of heart disease are 65 years and older. A 65 year old person is twice as likely to have a stroke than a 55 year old person.

- As reported by Forbes, over 80% of middle aged and senior citizens prefer treatment in their own home to inpatient treatment at a healthcare facility.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) recently published proposed payment changes for 2011. While there are various pieces to it, the net effect is about a 4.75% decrease in Medicare payments to home health agencies next year, with a similar additional reduction in 2012.

Caring Professional’s pledge to its current and prospective clients is that we will continue to provide high quality service in this challenging environment.  We also encourage our clients to contact their representatives in Congress and let them know how they feel about the importance of home healthcare.  To get started, you can click on the following link: http://www.helpuschoosehome.com/takeaction.php

Like most home care agencies in Minnesota, Caring Professionals depends on reimbursement from the state to provide its services to the community.  Recent announcements from our state government have and will continue to negatively affect our clients and employees.  The Courage Center located in Minneapolis is commissioning  a survey to assess some of the effects of these changes.  Caring Professionals encourages all of its clients and employees to complete this survey which can be found at the following link.

http://www.couragecenter.org/ContentPages/pcasurvey2010.aspx

“This is an area for which the job outlook is still strong.  On average, we hire about 14 new employees per month,” said Matthew Dewey, Administrator of Caring Professionals Homecare in St. Paul, Minnesota.

When deciding on a career path in this field, one should understand the difference between a licensed CNA and a PCA.  The former is a position that requires licensing from the state and is authorized to provide limited medical services.  On the other hand, personal care assistants or home care aides support their clients in and around the home or with transportation but do not provide medical services.

All types of aides are in great demand, especially in and around the Twin Cities.

“The aging baby boomer population has fuelled this growing need for assistance and has turned healthcare into a huge field with plenty of opportunities,” Dewey said.

About Caring Professionals Homecare:  The company was founded in 2006 and today employs over 200 PCA’s nurses and support staff.  CPH specializes on nonmedical personal home care for which it trains all of its employees in-house.

The Jobs of the Future
Occupations with the largest percentage growth expected through 2018:
• Biomedical Engineers 72%
• Network Systems Analysts 53%
• Home Health Aides 50%
• Personal, Home-Care Aides 46%
• Financial Examiners 41%
• Medical Scientists 40%
• Physician Assistants 39%
• Skin-Care Specialists 38%
• Biochemists, Biophysicists 37%
• Athletic Trainers 37%
Source: Labor Department ‘Occupational Outlook Handbook’

Caring Professionals Homecare
Office 651-789-2299

The most common deficiencies centered on quality of care measures, including treatment and prevention of bedsores and urinary tract infections. The most common quality of life issues involved housekeeping, maintenance, and nutrition, with 43 percent of homes cited for problems with dietary services (Freking, AP/Boston Globe, 9/29).

The report found that about 17 percent of nursing homes had deficiencies that caused “actual harm or immediate jeopardy” to residents. Of the 37,150 complaints inspectors received in 2007 about the condition of nursing homes, 39 percent were substantiated and about 20 percent of those verified complaints involved patient abuse or neglect.