William Dombi headhot

As the dust settles from the election, legislative gridlock likely will continue to be the norm, William A. Dombi, president of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, said Thursday.

Yet positive permanent changes could come in the form of telehealth and reduced red-tape reforms, Dombi said. It also is likely that a stimulus relief compromise will be reached between Republicans and Democrats, with Republicans achieving some degree of business liability immunity related to the coronavirus pandemic and Democrats look to add measures to accelerate COVID-19 testing and contact tracing and improve worker protections, he added.

Moreover, Dombi said, the pandemic has cast a bright light on the virtues of home care.

“The industry has shown its versatility and depth by making fast adjustments while serving COVID-19 patients,” he said. “Cost scalability is evident, as there is no bricks-and-mortar burden. Our healthcare system has a greater appreciation for the value of home care options, as does the public, and technology as a real tool for home care has taken a quantum leap.”

The webinar was held by Relias.