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.