Articles of Membership

Section 1: Eligibility

Eligibility for membership shall be from one of the following categories:

A. Service Line Member: Eligible organizations must be engaged in the delivery of home care through certified home care services, hospice services, private home care services, home pharmacy/infusion services or home medical equipment services. Each legally recognized business unit shall be eligible for a membership. For purposes of membership, each organization with a filed assumed name is considered a legally recognized business unit. Each service line membership shall have one vote in association elections. Service line members may serve on the Board of Directors, and may hold office.

B. Associate Members: Businesses that provide goods or services to the above organizations are eligible as associate members. Associate members may also be local, regional and national associations that have an interest in home care delivery in the state of Michigan, but do not directly provide that care. Holding companies and organizations formed to provide group contracting and/or services for a coalition of home care industry service providers are ineligible for membership. The Board of Directors shall determine whether any applicant shall be denied membership on the basis of this provision. Each associate membership shall have one vote in association elections. There will be one Board of Directors seat reserved for associate members, and no more than one seat, regardless of the number of associate members. The associate representative of the Board of Directors shall not hold office.

C. Individual and Honorary Membership: Individuals may choose to become members of the association because they have an interest in the purpose of the Michigan Home Care. In addition, the association may wish to honor certain individuals with a perpetual membership because of their history of service to the association. Individual members may not be employed by an organization defined in other membership category that is not a member of the Michigan Home Care. Individual and honorary members may not vote in association elections and may not serve on the Board of Directors.

Section 2: Duration

Membership of a person or organization eligible under Article III, Section 1 shall commence with the presentation to the Board of Directors and shall continue until termination, suspension or expulsion, as provided in these bylaws.

Section 3: Termination

A. Any individual member may cancel his/her membership at any time by written notice to the Board of Directors.

B. All other categories of members may cancel membership at any time by submitting to the Board of Directors either a written notice to such effect signed by the administrative head of the member organization, or a copy of a resolution authorizing termination of membership duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the member organization.

C. The Board of Directors may cancel membership for delinquency in payment of dues or at its discretion when it is determined an organization has misrepresented itself in its membership classification. Two-thirds vote of all voting members of the association may cancel membership for conduct detrimental to the association after a full and fair hearing.

Section 4: Suspension

At any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors, any member may be suspended by a majority vote of the Board of Directors present for failure to comply with the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Code of Ethics or any duly adopted policy, rule, or regulation of the association, or has been adjudged to have violated criminal or civil law in either federal or state court on issues related to health care fraud. Suspension from either the Medicaid or Medicare program will also constitute grounds for suspension from the association. Ten days written notice shall have been given to such member setting forth the intention to suspend the specific reason therefore and the right of the member to appear and be heard in person or by representative at said meeting.

Section 5: Expulsion

At any regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors, any member may be expelled by a majority vote of the Board of Directors present for failure to comply with the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Code of Ethics or any duly adopted policy, rule, or regulation of the association, or has been adjudged to have violated criminal or civil law in either federal or state court on issues related to health care fraud. Expulsion from either the Medicaid or Medicare program will also constitute grounds for expulsion from the association. Ten days written notice shall have been given to such member setting forth the intention to propose expulsion, the specific reason therefore, and the right of the member to appear and be heard in person or by representative at said meeting.

Section 6: Dues

All members will pay annual dues at the beginning of each fiscal year. The Executive Committee shall determine the dues structure and present it for approval to the Board of Directors no later than 30 days prior to the Annual Business Meeting. The Board of Directors shall present proposed dues changes to the voting membership for action at the Annual Business Meeting. During the first year of membership, any member who joins before mid-fiscal year shall pay dues for the entire fiscal year in which the membership is approved. The dues of any new member who joins after mid-fiscal year shall be one-half the annual dues as per the dues schedule. No dues shall be refunded for canceled memberships.