Superior’s 25th Year – Continuing the Celebration!
From No License to Managed Care: How Home Care Has Changed Since 2002
Over the last 24 years, we’ve seen so much BIG change here in Pennsylvania in home care. In any business, navigating change is challenging; doing it while staying true to your mission and guiding principles is even harder. Through all of these big and business-altering changes, we’ve never wavered from the truth our mission delivers to our clients and our employees.
When Superior Home Care opened its doors in 2002, non-medical home care in Pennsylvania looked very different. There was no state license for agencies like ours. Anyone could hang out a shingle and start sending caregivers into homes. There were no licensed standards either for care or the screening and hiring of caregivers. There was no official count of home care agencies back then, because there was nothing to count.
2009 – Home Care Licensure
That changed in 2006, when the legislature passed Act 69 requiring the Department of Health to license home care agencies. The regulations took effect in December 2009 and brought criminal background checks, caregiver competency requirements, and state inspections of agencies. Agencies began to enroll for their license in February of 2010; Superior became licensed in April of 2010. Today the industry has more than 5,000 licensed agencies across Pennsylvania, in virtually every county.
2012 – Medicaid Waiver Rates Reduced
As part of DPW’s waiver renewal process, rates across PA for Medicaid waiver programs had to be standardized with a set rate methodology. Unfortunately, SW-PA, known as Region 1, saw the most devastating cuts in our waiver rates. Like most providers in our region, Superior saw a 25% reduction in our reimbursement rate – losing $6/hour. This one change forced many agencies to close their doors.
2018 – PA Transitions Waiver Programs to Managed Care
The biggest shift for the families we serve came in 2018. That year, Pennsylvania moved its Aging Waiver and other home care programs into Community HealthChoices, a managed care system run by private insurance companies. Our region in Southwestern Pennsylvania was the first to make the switch. Agencies that once worked directly with the state now coordinate with multiple health plans. Around the same time, federal law brought Electronic Visit Verification, which uses a phone app to confirm that every visit happens when and where it should.
2020 – Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) Mandated
The 21st Century Cures Act required agencies to utilize EVV for personal care service by January 1, 2020. Beginning October 1, 2020, all agencies providing personal care service under a Medicaid program must have claims with a matching EVV record to be paid. Agencies must maintain an 85% compliance score to be maintained as a contracted provider.
Some things, unfortunately, haven’t changed enough. Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Medicaid rate for in-home personal care is only $19.32 an hour. That is the lowest across the state and of any neighboring state, and it hasn’t meaningfully increased since 2022. The state’s own study found rates need to rise 23% to keep up.
Through every change, our focus has stayed the same: people and relationships first. Make every experience we have with each client and team member the best it can be. The rules, the systems, and the payers have all changed since 2002. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to showing up for our clients and caregivers, and finding a way forward together.
Company News
Upcoming Training Opportunities
We have two upcoming training opportunities that are open to all staff but registration is required. All training is paid at your base hourly pay rate.
Mentor Training (required for anyone wishing to apply for our Team Lead role)
When: October 8, 2026
Time: 9:00am – 12:00 pm
Where: Main Office, 500 N. Lewis Run Road
RSVP BY: October 2, 2026 (training is limited to 8)
Dementia Certification Training (must attend all 3 sessions for certification)
When: 3 Sessions on consecutive Wednesdays: 10/21, 10/28 and 11/4/2026
Time: 10am – 12:30pm
Where: Joint training with LifeSpan at their Homestead location –
308 E 8th Avenue, Homestead PA 15120
RSVP BY: October 10/9/2026 (training is limited to 6)
Birthdays
- Brianna Hollingsworth 10/6
Tyran Thornhill 10/18
Anniversaries
- Douglas McArthur 10/14 – 1 year
- Marjorie Alexander 10/18 – 3 years
- Latoya Hairston 10/19 – 5 years
- Jordan Boxley 10/21 – 1 year
Caregiver Shout Outs!
- Qateyrha Featherstone-for countless weeks of overtime to make sure our clients are covered.
- Agness Mulenga– making herself available in a pinch for a high-priority client, during a short staff situation.
- Sharonne Carter– covering a valuable client last minute and at his doorstep in less than 10 minutes.
- Trisha Thomas – making her schedule work so none of her clients go unseen.
- Asia Merchant– changing her schedule to accommodate her client without hesitation.
- Teddy Thornhill– for her limitless patience with a client who clearly is hurting on the inside.
- Shalora Meadows– falling right into covering a client without the benefit of shadowing.
- Cindy Harper – so flexible and picking up hours from call offs.
- Cayley Poulin – helping out with pto for a high priority client.
- Lesa Brownfield – covering shifts for a client so her peers can enjoy PTO.
- All Caregivers who participated in our DSP Trivia Day!
- Larissa Nicholson – CLOCKING IN AND OUT ON TIME.
- Ceniya Carper – CLOCKING IN AND OUT ON TIME.
- Stephanie Welsh– CLOCKING IN AND OUT ON TIME.
Caregiver Tips
Did you know? There are only 6 more paychecks until Christmas!
Don’t wait until the holiday rush! Reach out today to pick up additional shifts and make those holiday paychecks count! Make a client happy and your bank account happy!
Community Events/Special Needs Program
Looking for something meaningful to do with your Special Needs client? Here’s an idea:
Friendship Circle-Pittsburgh
1922 Murray Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15217, United States
Social gatherings, creative activities, game nights and friendship-building opportunities for children and young adults with disabilities.
412-224-4440 ·
Website: https://www.friendshipcirclepgh.org/
Let’s have some FUN!!
Get ready for a SPOOKTACULAR time with your coworkers! Come dressed as your favorite character and join us for a day filled with fun, laughter, learning and team bonding!
DETAILS: This event will be at our office on 10/27/26 from 10am – 4pm. Staff can drop in anytime throughout the day. We’ll have more details on what to expect in the coming few weeks. We’ll share that via email with everyone.
The Best Side Hustle Out There!
Are you looking for a way to earn some extra money AND help us reach more clients in need of care?
Well look no further! Our Employee Referral Program could put as much as $450 in your pocket every month.
That’s right – $450! Refer just 3 people who are hired and work at least 90 days, and you could $450 ($150 per referral).
And even better, on each referred person’s anniversary date with us for as long as they work with us – you get another $25. If you’ve referred 6 people in the year and they all stay for a year, that’s another $150.
Great caregivers are all around you – in your neighborhood, apartment building, at your child’s school or on their sports team, at church – even your own family members may be a great fit for us. Simply spread the word that we are hiring, and send them to us. You also can add anyone you recommend right in Zingage and we’ll reach out directly.
Here are areas we are currently looking for caregivers in:
- South Park
- Millvale/Aspinwall
- Hazelwood/Homestead
- Monroeville
Are we friends yet??
If you’re on Facebook, becoming a friend with Superior is a great and easy way to help others get to know us – potential team members and clients. Even better, like or share any of our posts, our reach will go even further. Come on…..Let’s be friends!
Want to help us grow our reputation? It’s easy! Give us a Google review and share what you like most about being on our team!
If you or an aging loved one are considering mobility specialized care in Bethel Park, PA please contact the caring staff at Superior Home Care today. (412) 754-2600
Superior Home Care provides Home Care Services in the Greater Pittsburgh area, West Mifflin, Jefferson Hills, Bethel Park, Baldwin, McKeesport, Monroeville, Monongahela, Pleasant Hills, Penn Hills, Verona, Wexford, Glenshaw, and North Hills.
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