The private duty industry’s court battle involving the companionship services exemption has come to an end.
 
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 27 declined to review a challenge to the Labor Department’s new companionship rules, which went into effect in October 2015. The rules require agencies to provide aides 1.5 times their hourly pay for all hours worked in excess of 40 during a week.
 
 The Home Care Association of America (HCAOA), National Association for Home Care & Hospice and the International Franchise Association had filed a petition in November with the Supreme Court after an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the changes from taking effect (HHL 3/14/16).