LeadingAge NY Meets with DOH on Home Care and HCBS Issues
(Jan. 21, 2025) LeadingAge NY recently met with the Department of Health's (DOH) Office of Aging and Long-Term Care (OALTC) and other LTC providers on home care and hospice issues. The meeting yielded the following discussion:
DOH announced their upcoming reporting deadlines:
- The 2023 Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA)/Long Term Home Health Care Program (LTHHCP) Statistical Report and 2023 Hospice Cost and Utilization Report are both due Feb. 28, 2025.
- The Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA) Statistical Report for LHCSAs and Assisted Living Program (ALP) LHCSAs is due Jan. 31, 2025.
There are a significant number of agencies that have not completed the LHCSA Statistical Report. DOH will be carrying out enforcement for agencies failing to complete required reporting, including LHCSAs not ensuring that annual registration is completed.
As mentioned previously, if a LHCSA did not complete the Statistical Report by Dec. 31st, or did not complete the Short Form for annual registration and the LHCSA Statistical Report, it will have to reach out to the Department to gain access to the currently available report.
The Department shared new Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) information regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) training for facilities and training programs for certified nurse aides, home health aides, and personal care aides. More information on this is available here.
Members attending the meeting also shared their concern with the Department regarding the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospice Special Focus Program. Providers are concerned that the current algorithm intended to identify agencies requiring oversight is rewarding non-reporters under the hospice Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) program, among other inaccuracies. LeadingAge NY and other provider associations have shared their concerns with the Department.
Some meeting discussion focused on CHHA closures, including whether the Department debriefs agencies during closure and how there is evidence that DOH is not approving expansions of current agencies into areas that have lost a CHHA to closure.
Members should reach out to Meg Everett with any questions and concerns so she can share them with the Department.
Contact: Meg Everett, meverett@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871