(The Center Square) – With budget season disappearing into the rearview, advocaces for home health care services aren’t wasting a minute.
Though the programs saw a $21 million investment toward workers within the self-directed care model, those appropriations fell woefully short of the state’s own recommendations to stabilize the industry.
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Homecare Association said providers submitted formal Program Revision Request filings for the coming fiscal year demanding major investments to correct the deepening shortfalls in the industry. Specifically, the organization says the state needs to spend $800 million and raise Medicaid rates by 23% to meet the crisis.
“Pennsylvania’s in-home care crisis is both devastating and straightforward— the workforce is collapsing, and people are going without care,” said Mia Haney, CEO of the Pennsylvania Homecare Association. “The Governor and Legislature have taxpayer-funded studies that spell out exactly what must be done. Families are missing hours they’re authorized for, medically fragile children are losing care, and seniors are being left without help. We don’t need more reports — we need leadership.”
The studies in question refer to a June report from the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee and a wage study completed in February through the Department of Human Services.
Key to the home care crisis are Medicaid reimbursement rates, a figure set by the state. In Pennsylvania, the rate sits at $20.63, meaning that after overhead, most workers are taking home between $13 and $16 per hour. This figure sits well below every neighboring state, from Maryland’s $25.58 reimbursement to New York’s $36.31. West Virginia’s rate is now $26.96, up from about $19.
Though the DHS study found that a 23% increase in reimbursement rates would be required to bring the commonwealth up to par, it’s an unrealistic request as the state continues to work with tight finances and a divided legislature. Instead, the requests made Tuesday ask for a minimum 13% increase.
Advocates say making the decision to increase spending on home care will save spending farther down the line on hospitalization and institutionalization. The association says that nursing homes on average cost about 127% more than home care. Nursing homes in the state run upwards of $10,000 per month, which can quickly drain families of savings.
For their part, Shapiro and state legislators have celebrated the $21 million increase, which will go to just 6% of home care workers by excluding those who work within agencies, as a victory.
On Sunday, Shapiro posted to Facebook, “I promised to have our direct care workers’ back, and that’s what we’re delivering.”
For the home care industry, the win isn’t nearly enough.
“Raising rates isn’t an item on a wish list — it’s an absolute necessity for tens of thousands of vulnerable Pennsylvanians,” Haney said. “This is both a moral and fiscal imperative. Every month of delay costs taxpayers millions and leaves more Pennsylvanians without care.”
