Regional Digest
May 8, 2000 2 minutes read
Regional Digest
• New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman signed a bill last week requiring all home health aides in the state to undergo criminal background checks. The law, which goes into effect immediately, could force as many as 54,000 aides certified by the state before 1997 to undergo back ground checks, reported the Record of northern New Jersey. The aides were not required to undergo the checks when consumer-protection regulations were passed in 1997, the Record reported. Under the new law, aides will undergo elaborate scrutiny, including a federal check requiring fingerprints. At the signing, Whitman said she was delivering on a promise made in her State of the State address to fully fund the background checks to protect vulnerable patients.
• Home health care agencies in New Hampshire have been forced to reduce services or close as a result of cuts in Medicare and many are worried about future costs, the Nashua Telegraph reported. The interim payment system adopted under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 capped the amount agencies receive for services provided to Medicare patients. Nearly 75% of New Hampshire residents receiving home health services are Medicare beneficiaries, according to Liane Schubring, executive director of Souhegan Home and Hospice Care. Susan Young, executive director of the Home Care Association of New Hampshire, said, "Clients are getting less service, and agencies are trimming where they [can] to cut costs of services." Home healthcare analysts hope the implementation of the prospective payment system for home health care visits will alleviate some financial pressures. But, they say, if Congress does not repeal the 15% Medicare budget cut planned for next year, more home health agencies could face additional financial pressures. "If that happens, there would be a very serious impact. There is no room to budge on the services [patients are] getting now," Young said.
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