Protecting the New Home Care Rule
A hearing held this morning on the new
home care rule by the U.S. House Education & the Workforce's Subcommittee on Workforce Protections misrepresented a victory of great importance to the nation's fastest growing workforce and the millions of elders and people with disabilities who rely on it.
As reflected by its title--Redefining Companion Care: Jeopardizing Access to Affordable Care for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities--the hearing incorrectly framed the winning of basic labor protections by home care workers as a threat to those who rely on their services. In fact,
the rule will benefit consumers by helping to stabilize the workforce they depend on.
We anticipate that this is just the beginning of a concerted push to urge Congress to disapprove the home care rule. The unusually long delay between the day it was issued (September 17, 2013) and when it becomes effective (January 1, 2015) gives opponents more than a year to try to whip up opposition to the rule.
We must not let opposition overturn this hard won and long-overdue victory for home care workers--and us all. DCA and our allies are working hard to ensure that the rule is not derailed by Congress and is implemented properly.
To learn more about how the rule will affect workers, states and the home care industry, join DCA Board Chair Tracy Dudzinski; Bruce Vladeck, the former head of Medicare and Medicaid; and other experts for a
webinar cohosted by NELP, DCA and PHI on December 3 from 2 to 3:30 ET.
Stay tuned to our newsletter and alerts to learn how you can get help ensure that the rule is not disapproved by Congress and is implemented properly.
