MGA Homecare has a passion for assuring that patients always come first. Therefore, it has been leading the charge in Arizona’s legislative sessions to successfully pass legislation that gives family/guardian caregivers of juvenile patients the ability to become LHAs (Licensed Health Aides) and receive reimbursement. In Arizona, this bill is known as HB2521.

Upon passage, AHCCCS—Arizona’s Medicaid vehicle—and the Arizona State Board of Nursing had some work to complete.

This is an update on where AHCCCS and the AZ State Board of Nursing are regarding the passage of HB2521 at this moment in time.

The AZ State Board of Nursing drafted licensure and training guidelines which passed earlier this month. This will allow MGA to submit a training curriculum that will eventually be provided to family-guardian caregivers who apply to become LHAs. This training curriculum will be reviewed by the AZ Board of Nursing, which has up to three months to review and approve the training package.

Per the Arizona State Board of Nursing, the role of the new Licensed Health Aide is described—at this time—as follows:

“The current, 2021, legislation permits LHA licensees to care for one juvenile patient only, who must be designated as having developmental disabilities, and must be a family member of the LHA, or for whom the LHA is the guardian. The care plan must be authorized through a home health agency, who will provide oversight. The LHA may provide nursing assistant-type care to the child, and also may perform skills including trach care, j tube and g tube feedings, and medication administration. The LHA license does not authorize the licensee to work with the public, in other settings, such as long term care, or to provide care to other patients besides the one, juvenile patient with whom the LHA has the special family or guardianship relationship.” 

What happens next?

AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid agency, is currently in the process of drafting rules for reimbursement and other program requirements. MGA will begin notifying patient-families when MGA is approved to begin training eligible and interested family members/guardians for this program.

MGA continues to monitor the situation and is steadfastly committed to keeping Arizona’s most fragile children, and their families, protected with individualized care.

You can read this first update we posted about HB2521 earlier this year. Read it here.