Lockwood, Robin

This change will harm seniors AND small businesses who provide their care. With so many seniors lacking long-term care insurance, the cost of personal care is a formidable expense. Increased costs to agencies will necessarily be passed on to the clients, which will drive them into the unlicensed labor pool making them easy prey for unscrupulous individuals. In addition, licensed caregivers employed by agencies will suffer a reduction in hours, lose income and subsequently put themselves into the independent market, where the majority are paid unreported wages; resulting in a net decrease in government revenue. Why must you be so shortsighted? This is a lose-lose proposition.