Virginia Association for Home Care and Hospice

04/22/2026

USAFacts notes that while the US spends nearly 18% of GDP on health care, only a fraction of that spending reaches home- and community-based care...

Even though most older adults say they want to receive care at home.

That gap between where money goes and where people want to be is exactly where VAHC members operate; keeping people out of higher‑cost settings and closer to family.


To agencies! Every time you deliver safe, effective care at home, you’re not just helping one person, you're impacting overall costs, in the direction the data says we need to go.generations.

04/17/2026

With a net –1.3% Medicare home health payment cut for 2026 and ongoing wage inflation, agency margins will feel even more squeeze.

In this environment, making sure every reimbursable dollar is realized isn’t optional.

VAHC has helped members recover and protect hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years through billing problem‑solving, payer escalation, and education on PDGM, LUPA, and Medicaid rules.

This is not the time to manage financial risk alone.

04/16/2026

As the 2026 West Virginia regular session heads into its final stretch, lawmakers are advancing bills that indirectly shape home care and hospice.

The budget increases funding for aged and disabled waiver programs by $5 million and sets aside $200 million in federal Rural Health Transformation Program dollars that can support HCBS.

Other measures, like the Make West Virginia Healthy Act of 2026, aim to expand nutrition and preventive programs that help keep high‑risk residents stable at home.

Providers should be watching how these dollars are ultimately deployed, and be ready to advocate for home- and community-based care as part of the solution.

04/08/2026

The home care workforce is under historic pressure.

Nationally, the industry is on track for 6.1 million job openings by 2034, driven by demand and turnover.

VAHC’s new Home Care/Personal Care Aide Virtual Training

is our market tested training, built for this moment: it helps agencies onboard faster, upskill consistently, and give new aides the confidence and competence they need to stay.

In a market facing a projected shortage of more than 150,000 direct care workers by 2030, structured training is critical.

32 hours online + 8 hours competency

We provide our members with the tools and resources necessary to work with their local, state, and federal representatives on issues that are important to them. Such issues include regulations, voting rights, and back reimbursement related to the way they run their businesses.

04/07/2026

Margins are getting tighter.

The “Managing Home Health Margins Through Clinical Quality – Part 3” webinar will unpack what the 2026 Home Health Final Rule and PDGM changes really mean for your visit patterns, LUPA risk, and cash flow.

April 15th.

Join us to learn how top agencies are using quality data to protect revenue, not just scorecards.

Register here:

https://vahc.memberclicks.net/what-does-this-mean-for-revenue-cycle-mgmt #/

04/05/2026

03/25/2026

Family members and patients are seeing the fraud headlines too.

Families are right to be cautious, and they are looking hard at who they trust in their homes.

One simple way to stand out: make sure your agency is listed in the VAHC member Agency Directory, so families and referral sources can quickly verify you’re part of a professional network.

When trust is low, affiliations matter more.

https://www.vahc.org/agency-directory #/

03/24/2026

Medicaid fraud continues in the headlines - and that will bring implications.

CMS is rolling out a sweeping fraud crackdown focused on Medicaid personal care.

Expect more audits, deeper looks at EVV, timekeeping, and service authorizations.

Two tips for agency owners:

Get audit-ready now: Clean up EVV, fix documentation gaps, and regularly self-audit authorizations vs. billed hours.

Formalize compliance: Make sure you have clear policies, staff training, and a process for investigating and correcting issues before CMS does.

Need more guidance? Members - schedule time wit us 1/1.

Non member? Reach out to explore options.
https://www.vahc.org/membership-application

Welcome we are excited that you are interested in becoming a member of the Virginia Association for Home Care and Hospice. If you have any questions don't hesitate to give us a call or send an email to mtetterton@vahc.org

03/23/2026

👉 CMS’ FY 2026 hospice final rule is now in effect, bringing a 2.6% payment update and locking in HOPE implementation for quality reporting.

At the same time, CMS clarified that hospice in person attestations must be signed and dated, and streamlined some documentation expectation, aimed at reducing administrative burden while still guarding program integrity. The message is clear: agencies that invest in clean documentation, timely HOPE submissions, and strong clinical oversight will be best positioned as quality and compliance pressures grow

Check out our hospice webinar April 9 for the help you need in one place.



"If it was not documented, it wasn’t done" Hospice Hot Topics Series- If it Was Not Documented- It Was NOT Done!

Join us for this monthly webinar series designed to provide you with valuable insights quickly and efficiently. We look forward to keeping you up to date in this monthly update!

03/19/2026

Agency leaders - are you aware of the Labor Quotient (LQ) for direct care workers in your area?

It can be found at www.bls.gov and can provide good info regarding quantity and quality of worker.

Home care is being squeezed by labor market quality (LQ) trends in both Virginia and West Virginia.

In many counties, direct care roles have a low LQ.

This means a higher-than-average concentration of home care workers, but often at lower-than-average wages.

For owners, that means: plan around constant hiring, invest in training and culture, and use every available lever (rate advocacy, incentives, flexible scheduling) to stay competitive.

03/13/2026

Home care reimbursements ...

Margins are tight. Lost dollars hurt.

Cost pressures on home care and hospice are only going up, including wages, benefits, and compliance, as noted in the VA General Assembly update.

In this environment, every single dollar of reimbursement has to land where it belongs.

VAHC has helped members recover and protect hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years through audit support, billing guidance, and payer problem-solving. This is not the time to go it alone.

03/11/2026

Mid-session, West Virginia lawmakers are already moving policies that matter for home care.

The House has passed HB 5096, exempting personal care and IDD services from certificate of need which lowers barriers to expand HCBS capacity.

Broader CON repeal remains unresolved.

The Senate Health & Human Resources Committee advanced the Make West Virginia Healthy Act of 2026 and a new Caregiver Tax Credit Act, both aiming to strengthen nutrition, behavioral health, and caregiver support.

These decisions will shape how easily agencies can grow and how well families can access care at home.