National Home Care & Hospice March on Washington & Law Symposium, March 25-28, 2012

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (“NAHC”) has announced that it will hold its national conference and exposition, the 2012 March on Washington & Law Symposium, in Washington D.C. on March 25-28, 2012. The event will take place at the Mayflower Hotel. Registration is open to both members and non-members of NAHC.

The NAHC is a non-profit organization that includes home health care and hospice providers as members. The focus and theme of the conference this year is “the march to create the future of healthcare.”

“Join us in our nation’s capital as we speak out for the ill, frail, and disabled,” the NAHC implores on its website. “Connect with your members of Congress and make them understand your patients’ needs. Tell them how home care can cut costs and right a health care system that’s run off the tracks. A train wreck will occur if we don’t deal with the surge of chronic disease among our graying population. So let’s join arms to show lawmakers that home care is the answer we need,” says the NAHC.

More information about the 2012 March on Washington & Law Symposium is provided on the NAHC’s website, including a program in PDF format providing a detailed conference schedule, planned topics and speakers, and registration and travel information.

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC)

The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is a nonprofit organization that represents the nation’s 33,000 home care and hospice organizations. “NAHC also advocates for the more than two million social workers, nurses, therapists, aides, and other caregivers employed by these organizations to provide in-home services each year to some 12 million Americans who are aged, frail, disabled, and dying,” according to information provided by NAHC.

“NAHC is the nation’s largest trade association representing the interests and concerns of home care agencies, hospices, home care aide organizations, and medical equipment suppliers,” according to its website. The Private Duty Homecare Association, representing private pay home care providers, is an affiliate of NAHC, which will participate in the 2012 March on Washington & Law Symposium.

Issues of Concern to NAHC

The NAHC openly prides itself on the success of its advocacy work in making its case before Congress on issues of concern to the home care and hospice sector.

According to Val J. Halamandaris, JD, President of NAHC, “We [the NAHC] have succeeded in blocking the addition of co-payments that Medicare beneficiaries would have to pay to access care at home. We have largely protected patients, caregivers, and providers from across-the-board Medicare cuts. We have delayed the start of rebasing, preserved Medicaid from further cuts, and saved the CLASS Act from repeal.”

Other issues of concern cited by Mr. Halamandaris as crucial for the future of home health care in the U.S. include protection of physicians from Medicare cuts, and saving the companionship services exemption from minimum wage and overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as proposed in H.R. 3066, a bill pending before the U.S. House of Representatives.

In an introductory letter included with the conference materials, Mr. Halamandaris writes:

Overview of the 2012 March on Washington & Law Symposium

According to information on the NAHC’s website, the March 25-28 conference will provide participants opportunities to:

• “Meet with your members of Congress one-on-one
• Learn about policy, legislative, and regulatory issues and their potential impact
• Receive continuing education credits for nurses, accountants, and private duty providers,” with education courses being provided on compliance with new regulations, legal issues in home care and hospice transactions, and tips on using technology to exchange data and coordinate care
• Discuss and participate in advocacy for public policy positions and issues of concern to the home care and hospice sectors; and
• “Enjoy the splendor of Washington, DC, in the springtime”

More Information

For more information about the NAHC’s 2012 March on Washington & Law Symposium, to be held in Washington D.C. on March 25-28, 2012, see the NAHC’s website and download a program and registration form for the event in PDF Format.

For information about Home Health Care, see the HelpingYouCare™ resource page on Information About Home Health Care.

For information about care facilities, including hospice care, see the HelpingYouCare™ resource pages on About Senior Housing and Care Facilities, including:

• Introduction: Senior Housing & Care Facility Options – Understanding & Choosing
• About Continuing Care Retirement Facilities (CCRC’s)
• About Assisted Living
• About Nursing Homes & Rehabilitation Facilities
• About Hospice & Palliative Care
• Monitoring & Improving Quality of Your Loved One’s Care at a Care Facility

To help you find and evaluate a home care provider or care facility near you, see CareHelpFinder™, the HelpingYouCare™ senior-care resource locator tools to help you:

• Find Home Health Care & Private Duty Aides;
• Find Senior Housing and Care Facilities, including:
• Find Assisted Living Facilities;
• Find Nursing Homes;
• Find Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC’s) and Independent Living;
• Find Respite Care & Other Care Facilities;
• Find & Compare Doctors, Care Managers & Other Professional Advisors;
• Find Other Care Resources.

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