Home Care Association of America

Home Care Association of America
Name	Home Care Association of America
Formation	1990s
Type	Trade association
Headquarters	United States
Region served	United States
Membership	Home care agencies, administrators, clinicians
Leader title	President/CEO

Home Care Association of America

The Home Care Association of America is a national trade association representing private home care agencies, administrators, and clinical providers across the United States. It serves as a convening body connecting home health entrepreneurs, hospice affiliates, and long-term services stakeholders with federal regulators, state departments, and philanthropic organizations. The association focuses on standard-setting, workforce development, policy advocacy, and dissemination of best practices to improve home-based care for older adults, veterans, and medically complex patients.

History

Founded in the 1990s during a period of expanded interest in community-based services, the organization emerged amid policy shifts influenced by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, Balanced Budget Act of 1997, and growing institutional emphasis from entities such as the AARP, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Early chapters formed in metropolitan centers including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia, aligning with statewide associations like the California Association for Homecare & Hospice and the Massachusetts Home Care Association. The association expanded through the 2000s alongside initiatives by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and proposals debated in the United States Congress related to Medicare Advantage and home-based primary care. Influential collaborations and conferences featured speakers from institutions such as Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, and academic programs at Harvard Medical School and University of Pennsylvania. The growth trajectory mirrored demographic trends noted by the U.S. Census Bureau and policy reports from the Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine).

Mission and Programs

The association’s mission centers on promoting quality, access, and workforce capacity for private home care providers through programs that include clinical guidelines, business toolkits, and training curricula. Programs are developed in partnership with clinical partners such as American Nurses Association, National Association for Home Care & Hospice, and specialty organizations like the Alzheimer's Association and Parkinson's Foundation. Workforce initiatives often reference labor studies from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and collaborate with training programs at George Washington University, University of Michigan, and Columbia University School of Nursing. Community-facing programs align with elder advocacy groups including LeadingAge, National Council on Aging, and disability organizations such as Easterseals.

Membership and Governance

Membership comprises licensed home care agencies, private-duty providers, certified nursing assistants, registered nurses, and executive leaders drawn from metropolitan chapters and national affiliates. Governing structures include a board of directors, executive committee, and advisory councils on clinical practice, compliance, and technology. The board has historically included executives with experience from organizations like Kindred Healthcare, Amedisys, Humana, UnitedHealth Group, and health systems such as M Health Fairview. Governance policies reference nonprofit standards upheld by organizations including Independent Sector and reporting expectations influenced by filings with the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exempt entities.

Advocacy and Policy Initiatives

The association engages in advocacy on reimbursement, workforce immigration, telehealth regulation, and quality measurement before federal and state legislatures. It submits comments to agencies such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, files amicus briefs with federal appellate courts, and lobbies committees in the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate with focus areas linked to Medicare payment models, Medicaid waivers, and Veterans Health Administration access. Policy campaigns have intersected with initiatives led by Commonwealth Fund, Brookings Institution, and think tanks like the American Enterprise Institute and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Legislative priorities often address caregiver shortages referenced in reports by the Government Accountability Office and proposals to expand scope-of-practice rules traced to state legislatures in Florida, Texas, and New York.

Standards, Accreditation, and Education

The association develops model standards for clinical care, client safety, and operational compliance, often aligning with accreditation organizations such as The Joint Commission, Community Health Accreditation Partner, and state licensing bodies including departments in California, New York State Department of Health, and Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Continuing education offerings include webinars, certificate programs, and competencies mapped to curricula at nursing schools like University of California, San Francisco, Duke University School of Nursing, and Yale School of Nursing. Quality measurement efforts reference metrics used by National Quality Forum and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding streams include membership dues, philanthropic grants, corporate sponsorships, and fee-for-service training. The association partners with national funders such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, John A. Hartford Foundation, and Ballmer Group, and collaborates with technology vendors from the Health Information Technology sector, insurers including Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and managing entities like Catholic Health Initiatives. Research partnerships have involved academic centers including Stanford University, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Public-private partnerships extend to pilot projects with state Medicaid agencies and federal initiatives managed by Health Resources and Services Administration and Administration for Community Living.

Category:Healthcare trade associations in the United States