Budget Amendment ID: FY2020-S3-555

EHS 555

Home Care - Responsible Employer Wage Pass-Through

Mr. Welch, Ms. DiZoglio, Messrs. Moore, Brady, O'Connor, Montigny and Feeney moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, by inserting after line item 9110-1633 the following new line item:

"9110-1635  For adjustments to rates and capitations for home and community based services provided through line items 9110-1630, 9110-1633, 9110-0600, and 4000-0601; provided further that $6,000,000 shall be provided for an adjustment to approved program rates issued under line items 9110-1630 and 9110-0600 to provide a rate add-on for wages, compensation and /or salary related costs for personnel providing home maker and personal care homemaker services; provided further that $1,000,000 shall be issued under line item 9110-0600 to increase capitation rates paid to contracted aging service access points; provided further that $3,000,000 shall be utilized for adjusting rates for home health aide services funded through line item 4000-0601 for the purpose of providing Title XIX services; provided further that the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, in consultation with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Division of Purchased Services, shall issue new regulations and procedures to implement this section; provided further that such additional regulations and procedures shall mandate full compliance reporting from and a Department audit of the home care agencies receiving these rate add-on funds and that audit shall include a full accounting of the uses of these funds, itemizing spending of the rate add-on funds for hourly rate increases, other categories of worker compensation and other categories of related eligible costs; provided further that such regulations shall require annual reporting of hourly wage rates and shall limit eligibility for the rate increases provided in this section to home care agencies that meet responsible employer standards established by the Department that shall at a minimum require full compliance with all applicable state regulations, including any licensing and financial reporting regulations and shall require that each eligible home care agency pays each of their workers an hourly wage that is at least fifty cents per hour higher than the statewide minimum wage; provided further that, no later than six months after the effective date of this act, the Executive Office of Elder Affairs shall report to the house and senate committees on ways and means an analysis of the impact on the wages for the workforce at the home care agencies receiving said rate adjustments.…… $10,000,000"