Election Impact on Home Care

Election Impact on Home Care

The 2016 election saw the Republican Party candidates win the Presidency, maintain Congress, and take over the MN Legislature. As far as the political campaign rhetoric and promises of these now victorious candidates, Obamacare and the current health care policy of the past administration is a primary piece of the new leadership’s agenda moving forward. For the life of Obamacare, per the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, Obamacare has had only a minor impact on home care and hospice. The expanded population of insured, through employer-based insurance, the insurance exchanges, or Medicaid generally does not involve people who need or use home or hospice. Instead, the ‘expanded’ population of insured due to Obamacare is primarily younger individuals and young families.

Moreover, the apparent intent of the new Republican administration and Congress is to repeal and replace Obamacare. However, it appears that within the latest announcements and developments in the Trump administration and Congressional leadership, changes would be on a more incremental pace and a select few features of Obamacare would be targeted instead of a full overhaul. The employer mandate is one area of Obamacare that has had the greatest impact on home care and hospice. Companies providing Medicaid-funded services and private pay, personal care services companies most often were at risk of penalties under the employer mandate as qualified health insurance generally was not available to nonprofessional employees or was deemed unaffordable by those employees. To deflect the penalty risk or health insurance costs, many home care employers were forced to restrict working hours to limit the number of full-time (30+ hour) employees. It would be presumed that the repeal of the employer mandate or the suspension of the employer penalties would be a welcome change for home care employers.

In Minnesota, the legislative priorities coming in with the Republican takeover of the State Senate and maintenance of majority in the State House is addressing workforce shortage within the home care industry. Another likely legislative priority important to home care in Minnesota is a focus on education and educational programming pertinent to home care workforce issues. There are many new faces in leadership, and it is clear that strong grassroots efforts by home care providers throughout the state of Minnesota would be key in shaping these legislative priorities.