Submitted by Laura Ness, Director, PA Government Affairs (GAO)

Recently, Senator Michele Brooks and Representative Aaron Berstine have circulated co-sponsor memos for legislation they are introducing.  The legislation allows individuals to be presumed eligible for home health care; a practice commonly known as “presumptive eligibility”.  This bill will help to increase access to care for potential and current BAYADA clients who don’t want to wait for their full applications to be processed before receiving care at home.  Specifically, the bill allows home health care agencies to presume that a client will be eligible for Medicaid and to start providing services while the full application is pending.  These clients need care as soon as possible, and this legislation will help give them that care.  The more support we can garner for this important legislation, the easier it will be to get the legislation passed.  I urge you to email your state legislators and encourage them to become co-sponsors of the presumptive eligibility bill by clicking here.