The California Department of Public Health has issued a new All Facilities Letter (AFL) extending the temporary waiver of specified statutory and regulatory requirements for Home Health Aides (HHAs) until December 31, 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 state of emergency. HHAs in active status are encouraged to renew their certifications following normal timelines but may continue to work without completing the application process. The waiver also allows HHAs with expired certifications within the previous two years or those expiring during the state of emergency to work until December 31, 2021, without renewal. All HHAs with existing waivers must renew their certification prior to the waiver's expiration. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have also temporarily modified the requirements for completing the annual 12 hours of in-service training for HHAs. Requests for program flexibility not specified in the AFL must be submitted to the Healthcare Workforce Branch on a case-by-case basis. Facilities should contact the Healthcare Workforce Branch for any questions regarding the AFL.

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