Yesterday, Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice, alongside home care agencies, patients, and families, called upon the Texas Legislature to allocate $412 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds to help the industry meet the needs of its patients, including the elderly and disabled.

The Texas home health industry has been financially devastated by COVID-19 and faces a diminished workforce, forcing home care patients to be sent to hospitals, creating a bottleneck in available hospital beds. State funding for the industry would help retain home care nurses and staff, giving patients the ability to receive care from home and alleviating the hospital bed shortage.

“Unlike other healthcare industries, home care and hospice patients and nurses have been forgotten when it comes to COVID relief funding,” said Kristen Robison, President of the Texas Association for Homecare and Hospice. “Without vital resources during this incredibly challenging time, home health agencies are unable to accommodate our patients, leaving them to rely on already-full hospitals for their regular care. Today we are asking the Legislature to step up for vulnerable Texans and dedicate funding to the home care and hospice industry, on behalf of every family who has relied on our services and staff during the hardest times in their lives.”

COVID-19 has increased costs to home health providers as much as 30 percent, due to higher expenses for labor, supplies, and compliance with regulatory requirements. Home care agencies are frontline health care workers, providing medically necessary services in the home to Texas’ most vulnerable individuals with disabilities and significant illnesses.

These increases will continue to lead to higher healthcare costs across the spectrum and diminished access to care across the state. During the third special session, the Texas Legislature has an opportunity to help the home health industry and its patients by allocating part of the $16 billion in COVID relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).