The Maryland National Capital Homecare Association is the only trade association for the home care sector in Maryland. It represents both non-profit and for-profit health care in Maryland and DC including:

• Medicare-certified home health agencies,
• Private duty agencies and registries,
• Home medical equipment businesses, and related businesses that provide services to providers listed above, and
  
• Individuals with a vested interest in the homecare community.

Membership and participation in MNCHA are critical to the success of Maryland's home care providers. MNCHA offers its members a wealth of educational, networking, and collaborative opportunities throughout the year.

We advocate for all home care in Maryland and DC, with the principles that:

1. Home care is patient and family preferred.
2. Home care is the lowest-cost post-acute Medicare service.
3. We are part of the solution to rising health care costs.
4. More home care = greater patient satisfaction and lower health system costs.
   

Scroll down this page to learn more about what MNCHA is doing, our upcoming events, and important resources.

Special Announcements:

MNCHA's Legislative Conference is February 23, 2012 in Annapolis, MD

This annual event gives participants and sponsors a chance to focus on Maryland-specific legislative and regulatory issues. This is the premier opportunity for Maryland home health, private duty and HME providers to learn directly from legislative and regulatory experts what is coming in 2012 for Maryland providers. Participant and Sponsor/Exhibitor Registration are now open! Go to our Events List for details and registration. For more information, the current agenda, or to become a sponsor, contact Ann Horton at ahorton@mncha.org.

Proposed Changes to the Companionship and Live-In Worker Regulations
On December 27, 2011 the Department published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to revise the companionship and live-in worker regulations for two important purposes:

-To more clearly define the tasks that may be performed by an exempt companion
-To limit the companionship exemption to companions employed only by the family or household using the services.

Third party employers, such as in-home care staffing agencies, could not claim the exemption, even if the employee is jointly employed by the third party and the family or household. Interested parties are invited to submit written comments on the proposed rule on or before February 27, 2012 at www.regulations.gov. MNCHA will be holding a special call for MNCHA members to discuss the rule on February 1, 2012 from 11:00-12:00. RSVP to ahorton@mncha.org to obtain the call-in number.

MNCHA Supporting OHCQ to Promote RSA Regulation Trainings in 2011/2012

The Office of Health Care Quality will be conducting 5 trainings across the state on the new RSA Regulations. For more information about the details of the new regulations, please go to MNCHA's Public Policy Page: Click Here. The trainings will take place between November 16, 2011 and March 14, 2012. Need a copy of the regs? You can order a hard copy directly from DHMH using this form: Order Form. For more details on the trainings, go to MNCHA's Event List: Click Here.

LATEST UPDATE on Maryland "Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment"

Click Here to view the 9/23/11 transmittal from DHMH.

The proposed reglation requires that all patients admitted to a home health agency, hospice, dialysis center, nursing home, and assisted living facility must have a MOLST form completed.  Patients who are admitted to a hospital and being discharged to another hospital, a HHA, hospice, dialysis center, nursing home, or assisted living facility must have a MOLST form completed.  The MOLST order form is enduring and portable across the health care continuum, so the MOLST form is valid in all settings.  RSA employees need to know what a MOLST form is for and to give it to medics or send it to the hospital with the patient. Additional trainings are available. Go to dhmh.maryland.gov/marylandmolst for more information, or call the MNCHA office today.

MOLST Fact Sheet

Update Memo on MOLST Delay

MNCHA Feedback on MOLST

                   MNCHA would like to THANK our...

                    2012 LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE SPONSORS