Statement on Home Care Priorities Heading into Legislative Session

Posted: January 6, 2023

Denver, CO – The Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado (HHAC) released a statement today in advance of the upcoming Colorado legislative session, which will convene Jan. 9, 2023.

HHAC is a nonprofit organization that represents home health, home care and hospice agencies, which serve residents in all of Colorado’s 64 counties.

From Don Knox, executive director of the Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado:

“Coloradans depend on the critical services provided by home care agencies in communities across the state. The Legislature plays an important role in ensuring the continuation of these services through adequate Medicaid reimbursement rates, which are determined each year.

“The agencies and small businesses who care for Colorado’s most vulnerable residents in the home provide cost-efficient services that keep patients out of more expensive care settings like nursing homes and emergency rooms. Yet, they face rising costs that pose a threat to their ability to provide services, and they face fierce competition for labor in the current market. The workers who provide these services do important work, and the state – through adequate Medicaid reimbursements rates— helps ensure these workers are fairly compensated.

“We know policymakers share our goals of ensuring competitive wages for home care workers, patient access to services and efficient use of taxpayer Medicaid dollars. Increased Medicaid reimbursement rates are necessary to make that possible, particularly in the current economic and business climate.”

About the Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado: 
The Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado (HHAC) is a nonprofit representing home health, home care and hospice agencies statewide caring for tens of thousands of Coloradans, including elderly, disabled and blind individuals. Founded in 1970, the association is comprised of agencies of all sizes that provide a wide range of home-based services. They serve Coloradans in all 64 counties.