Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care Announces

2019-2020 “Friend of Home Health Care” Recipients

Designation bestowed on select group of legislators

(Madison, WI) – Today, the Wisconsin Association for Home Health Care (WiAHC) announced its 2019-2020 “Friend of Home Health Care” recipients. The designation is meant to publicly identify Wisconsin State Legislators that supported the expanded utilization of home health care as an effective, affordable option for post-acute care.

The 2019-20 “Friend of Home Health Care” recipients include the following legislators:

“These legislators were critical to our legislative success and championed our most important priorities,” said Lisa Kirker, Chair of the WiAHC Board of Directors. “Home health care agencies across Wisconsin are grateful for the support and partnership of these individuals.”

WiAHC was very active during the 2019-2020 legislative session in educating legislators on the workforce issues facing home health care agencies and how increasing MA reimbursement rates can alleviate financial burden as well as attract new staff. WiAHC was successful in advocating for the introduction of Assembly Bill 447/Senate Bill 416, which aimed to increase MA reimbursement rates by 10% for home health visits. The bill received a public hearing in the Senate Health Committee, and WiAHC is hopeful there will be continued interest in the legislation next session. WiAHC also successfully advocated for legislation that allowed all MA reimbursable services to be conducted via telehealth.

WiAHC is a membership-based association that represents home health care agencies and their staff. WiAHC helps to support the common interests of its members to promote home health care as a quality, cost-effective health care option in our state. Home health care services are not the same as personal care services. Home health care services are medical, skilled nursing services as opposed to personal care services administered by non-health care professionals.