Statement on Attorney General's Home Health Aide Certification Investigation

EAST GREENBUSH, NY (08/23/2007)(readMedia)-- Statement from Christine L. Johnston, Executive Vice President of HCP

To learn that some have taken advantage of the State Medicaid home care program and exploited a weakness in the system is extremely disturbing. Patients that rely on home care services and the workers and agencies that deliver such care are all victims when there is abuse in the system.

A solution exists to the problems with home health aide training certificate verification - establishment of a centralized State registry of certified home health and personal care aides, which has long been advocated by HCP.

This registry would ensure that only trained and certified workers are placed in the field. Without this solution it will continue to be extremely difficulty for agencies to access accurate information on aide certification to better protect public interests.

HCP is committed to working with the State to establish an effective and reliable centralized aide registry. Failure to act on this critical policy issue does a great disservice to the public and the vast majority of home care providers that strive to ensure that high quality care is being delivered.

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