Rate Increase Delay – Due
to Paperwork
Friday afternoon, DHS released a letter that indicated
that the 3.5% rate increase for service providers of I/DD is expected to be
delayed because of the wait for federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services (CMS) approval of the rate increase. Obviously this two month
delay at least is a HUGE problem for people receiving services as well as for
providers who have passed budgets with this expectation and who must respond to
minimum wage increases. This is totally unacceptable. ICFDDs will expect
their reimbursement rate to start at August 1 because they are able to be
retroactively paid. In the waiver, the state must wait for CMS to approve
the rate increase before starting to bill and cannot do retroactive rate
increases. This is a huge issue because then providers who have built in
the expectation and gotten budgets approved including the 3.5% rate
increase.
The They Deserve More Campaign of which the Arc and many groups are a part is
reaching out to HFS and DHS to meet about the approval process and how to
capture the annual 3.5% rate increase fully this year.
Please look for a potential further call to action for people with
disabilities, families and the community to contact their legislators/governor
about the concern of a loss of millions in investment in I/DD services because
of this delay.