For most of us, the day to day focus of running a Right at Home franchise is all about the caregivers and clients. We’re here to serve our communities, build relationships, and improve the lives of everybody we touch. So naturally, government regulations and legislative policy are not the first things you think of when you get into the homecare business.
But once you set out to launch your own franchise, you quickly learn just how important these issues are. Government relations are a pretty big part of navigating the home healthcare landscape and as a franchisee, it is something you have to take into consideration.
Fortunately, you don’t have to handle these considerations alone. Right at Home provides its franchisees with a wealth of resources, including comprehensive support for government relations. But we wanted to know a bit more about this area of support, so we had Right at Home Senior Director of Government Affairs Doug Robertson on for a recent Tuesday Talk with host and Sr Vice President of Franchise Development & Sales Jen Chaney.
Navigating a Tricky Landscape
Doug has 25 years under his belt in government relations and advocacy; ten of them with Right at Home. He spends his time here advocating for franchisees and helping owners navigate the often complex world of government contract work. And it turns out that government contracts are a big part of what we do. But what exactly does government relations in home care entail?
Well, for starters, Doug explains it “includes getting contracts with the Department of Veteran Affairs and their PPAs or third-party administrators and acquiring a home care license.”
In addition, Doug helps franchisees by “providing some expertise with Medicaid in the states where that makes sense, and also the new guide Medicare benefit for those with dementia,” which he cites as a rapidly growing area of care. Doug’s department also handles “any types of regulatory questions or government affairs needs that folks have, including helping them advocate for themselves in their state.”
On top of all that, Doug also sits on the legislative policy committee for Home Care Association of America (HCAOC), chairs the VA Advisory Council that provides direct input to VA leadership and works closely with both a lobbyist on staff and a professional lobbying firm that represents Right at Home in DC. So clearly, Doug has a full plate.
And that’s a good thing, because it means that franchisees have a powerful and dynamic advocate in their corner as they navigate bureaucracy, sign contracts, and procure licenses.
What Makes Home Care Unique
The home care industry is a unique part of the health services landscape. We are not necessarily governed by the same rules impacting medical care providers. As Doug explains, “the advantage of being non-medical means that we are not saddled with all the administrative requirements of Medicare and our franchisees can be very nimble in their strategy development and outreach in the community.”
However, there are also some requirements that are unique to our field of care. And that’s where Doug’s particular area of expertise is so critical to our franchisees. He points out that there are 33 states that do require non-medical home care agencies to obtain a specific type of license before they can legally provide in-home care.
Doug notes that “the care we provide is personal care, hands-on care. That includes assistance with instrumental activities of daily living, allowing people to remain in their home over the long term.”
Whereas a clinician might visit the home, provide treatment, and leave, Right at Home caregivers are often in the home for many hours a week. This is a different type of service.
“So,” says Doug, “there are licenses to provide this ongoing assistance with activities of daily living needs. So we help new franchisees understand if their state has a license requirement.”
Continuing Support
But this level of startup support is only the beginning. Right at Home works with its own vendor who is primarily responsible for guiding new franchisees through this process.
“When a franchisee comes to Right at Home,” says Doug, “we’ll introduce them to our vendor to help them through that license process. We have an understanding of the license process in all 33 states.”
The guidance franchisees receive though this process matches the same high-touch support Right at Home provides owners in all aspects of startup. Doug notes that “The vendor has the bandwidth to assist home care franchisees and the Right at Home system every step of the way – filling out the application with them, submitting it for them, and helping them with corrections that the state might request on the application.”
Proactive Franchise Support
As you might imagine, dealing with government agencies can at times be tedious, time-consuming, and even frustrating. That’s why Doug and his team are extremely active in pertinent agencies.
“At the corporate level, staff, including myself, participate in HCAOA activities, councils and committees, so I sit on the legislative policy committee, and that is engaged in both federal and state advocacy, watching legislation, determining what the association’s position should be on the legislation, or advising on how to devise comments on a regulatory action at the federal or state level.”
Even before new rules and regulations reach franchisees, Doug’s staff is actively engaged in driving policy so that it meets the best interests of our clients, caregivers, and franchisees.
Getting Involved in Government Relations
In addition, Right at Home pays for each of its franchisees to join its state chapter of the HCAOA. He calls this membership particularly valuable, explaining that “They’ll have Zoom meetings where they share insights and information about what’s happening at the state capitol. Some of the chapters have lobbyists that are actively lobbying legislation impacting home care, and so we just help you hit the easy button.”
As in other areas of franchise ownership, Right at Home is there to help you navigate this complex space. But you also need to be proactive. With HCAOA membership, for instance, “You get access to a portal, and you can learn all the things that your chapter is doing and stay engaged with your state chapter,” says Doug.
“But,” he stresses, “this is very, very important to do, because you don’t want to find out a week before some new law goes into effect as a result of a bill that passed last year that you were unaware of because you didn’t participate in state chapter activities.”
When it comes to government relations, as in other areas of franchise ownership, it’s up to you to run with it.
For more information on Right at Home’s available territories, visit: https://rightathomefranchise.com/available-territories/. To learn more about owning a franchise, visit our blog.