Organized Adult Family Home Providers
Meet the Clients’ Need
OLYMPIA -- Adult Family Home providers statewide
cheered the Washington State Senate after the Ways
and Means Committee unanimously adopted a budget
amendment to further develop the new Adult Family
Home multilevel payment system. This new system
would allow Medicaid money to follow the client’s
care needs as requested by the Washington State
Residential Care Council (WSRCC). In addition, the
Senate budget allows a 2.8 percent fee increase for
adult family homes in 2009. This budget amendment
calls for a multi-level payment system that brings
the Senate budget in alignment with the House budget
came about as a result of calls and letters from
WSRCC member providers around the state.
CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE
PRESS RELEASE
SB
6220
Allowing the delegation of nursing tasks to
care for persons with diabetes – just passed the
Senate by a vote of 48-0!
Wendy Mitchell, an AFH
providers has worked very hard on this bill through
the years…it is only after one legislator changed
his/her mind that this bill could move forward.
Great Job Wendy! Your meeting this last summer was
very helpful.
The bill now goes to
the House for a Health and Wellness Committee
hearing, an Appropriations Committee hearing, then
to Rules Committee and then to the Floor for a vote.
After that, if there
are no new amendments, it goes to the Governor for
signing or veto.
A Special thank you to
all the providers who have emailed me within the
last couple of days to say that you are supportive
of the bill and that you have contacted your
legislator. That is very encouraging!
(Meanwhile, we heard
very little from the WFSE on this bill… and they say
they know AFH providers and their issues?)
Providers representing
Providers – (getting it done again --- without the
“bully” union.)
Back to Top
Are you willing to give up your
rights and privileges as an Independent Business
Owner?
Questions to
ponder:
- Why did the Federation
support a bill to unionize your caregiver?
- Are you thinking of
joining the union?
- Do you want your private
home business unionized?
- What will be the
consequences of unionization?
WSRCC will use the ability to collectively bargain with the Governor to the
benefit of Residents and Providers
We don’t need
the union/Federation (WFSE).
The Federation and
the SOH Coalition has stated, “What has WRSCC
done for Providers”
Here is a summary
of WSRCC Accomplishments
1)
Liability Insurance
¨
WSRCC
was successful in obtaining the first moratorium
(delay) on the Liability Insurance requirement.
Where was the union then?
¨
WSRCC
has been working with the legislature and DSHS
to get Medicaid rates increased so you can
afford Liability
Insurance to protect your business. The
Governor delayed the rate increase because
the union held up the collective bargaining
process.
¨
Whose interest is the union looking out for?
2)
Annual conference
- WSRCC has sponsored 12 annual, state wide
conferences and trade shows designed specifically
for Adult Family Homes. October 13th and
14th of 2008 will be the 13th
Annual WSRCC Conference.
3)
Lobbyist
- WSRCC’s
lobbyist Terry Kohl is essential to our continued
success as an industry. Terry keeps an eye out for
legislation that can affect Adult Family Homes &
their Residents.
4)
Medicaid rates and AFH regulation
- WSRCC (providers) volunteers and Terry Kohl
work very hard on your behalf to increase the
Medicaid rates and keep regulations simple to
understand.
5)
Educating Legislators
- WSRCC
educated Legislators about
the drastic need for increases in Medicaid
rates. – over 8 million (8,000,000) dollars.
¨
The
Federation (union)
requested budget increases for:
·
State mental hospitals
that institutionalize people with dementia;
·
Fircrest School (RHC- Residential Habilitation
Center)
that institutionalizes people with Developmental
Delays.( This is a
conflict of interest, when they represent state
run institutions)
·
Many of these individuals could be Residents in
Adult Family Homes.
6)
Food Handler Card requirements
– WSRCC authored and worked with legislators
to change the Food Handler Card requirements.
¨
Renewal of the Food Handlers card
is now much
simpler.
7)
Training for new Adult Family Home
Providers
¨
WSRCC
authored and worked on legislation that requires
new Providers to take 48 hours of classes to
help them better
understand the business and the demands of the
Adult Family Home before they become licensed.
·
This creates a more stable industry to the
advantage of our Residents.
·
It helped to prevent Providers from losing
their investments in time and money.
·
It protects the reputation of all Adult
Family Homes when
residents are not being relocated due to a
new provider getting in over their head.
8)
Created Public Awareness
¨
WSRCC
produced and ran a professional television
commercial in 2005
advertising what an Afh is.
·
The commercial ran for seven months on
Northwest Cable News.
¨
WSRCC
is the only organization educating the
public about the benefits and services Adult
Family Homes provide.
9)
Nurse Delegation -
WSRCC
influenced lawmaking and actively participated in
developing the Nurse Delegation System,
helping Providers maintain and increase the number
of Residents they are able
to retain and serve.
¨
Prior to the Nurse Delegation,
·
AFH Providers (who are not nurses) lost
Residents to the skilled nursing facility
when their care needs increased and
·
were not allowed to admit Residents who
required medication administration.
¨
Nurse Delegation now allows Residents to age in
place in the Adult Family Homes.
¨
WSRCC
is actively working with legislators to allow
insulin dependant residents, who are unable to
give their own insulin
shots, the opportunity to be in Adult
Family Homes instead of Nursing Homes.
10)
The Medication Assistance Definition.–
WSRCC influenced lawmaking and created the
Medication Assistance Definition.
¨
This allows caregivers to assist Residents in
taking their regular
medications without being required to use
Nurse Delegation.
11)
Your AFH License no longer needs to be reapplied for
each year
¨
WSRCC
encouraged DSHS to develop laws that made your
AFH License perpetual.
¨
Prior to this law, you had to fill out a new
application and reapply for your license
yearly.
12)
AFH License Fee
-
DSHS attempted to raise our license fee to $1500/yr.
WSRCC successfully fought and reduced the
fee to $50/yr.
13)
Residential Utility Rate
- Because of WSRCC,
AFH’s are now paying residential rates
on
electric, gas & telephone instead of commercial
rates. There is always someone trying to increase
you overhead. WSRCC is watching out for you.
Where has the union been?
14) Adult
Family Home Advisory Committee
– WSRCC
was instrumental in establishing the Advisory
Committee into law.
¨
The Advisory Committee meets quarterly to
discuss issues with DSHS.
¨
The advisory committee law requires that all new
regulations that have an impact on the program
of adult family homes be brought before this
committee.
¨
WSRCC members are on this committee and share
with members what new issues are “on the table.”
15)
Specialty licenses
– WSRCC was very involved in the creation of
AFH specialty Licenses: Dementia, Mental Health and
Developmental Disabilities. This brings more
Residents into your home and raises the level of
credibility and education to our industry.
16)
Collective Bargaining Unit
–
¨
WSRCC
restructured our bylaws
to expand our purpose to include collective
bargaining. This allows us to directly bargain
for Medicaid rates on behalf of Medicaid
contracted providers.
¨
WSRCC
has hired a highly regarded law firm
Davis, Payne, Grimm, and Marra to
represent Adult Family Home interests in
collective bargaining with the Governor.
WSRCC has in the past and will continue to ensure
the success of Adult Family Homes and the Resident
we serve
Back to Top
