DOH Updates ALP Medicaid Rates to Reflect Home Care Minimum Wage Increase
On Nov. 4th, the Department of Health (DOH) notified Assisted Living Program (ALP) providers that it has posted Medicaid rates that reflect additional funding to help defray the cost of implementing the new home care minimum wage. The increase sets the home care aide/personal care aide minimum wage $2 above the minimum wage otherwise in effect. For downstate areas where the minimum wage has reached $15, that results in $17. In upstate areas where the minimum wage is still increasing annually and is currently $13.20, the home care aide minimum wage is $15.20 as of Oct. 1, 2022.
Members in upstate areas should note that the regular minimum wage will increase at the end of the year by $1, which will also further increase the home care wage so that the $2 differential is maintained. Statewide, the home care minimum wage will increase by another dollar effective Oct. 1, 2023.
A fact sheet from the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) is available here. The Dear Administrator Letter (DAL) and the Excel file listing rates, including the new home care minimum wage program-specific add-on, are available here.
The ALP rate adjustment retroactive to Oct. 1, 2022 will be made in Cycle 2360, with checks released on Nov. 30th. The adjustment amounts were based on surveys that providers submitted to DOH. The Department indicates that the adjustments may be processed in a later cycle if a program submitted a late or incomplete survey. If you have any questions, please reach out to us or contact DOH by email at ALP-Rates@health.ny.gov with the subject line ALP October 2022 Home Care Aide Wage Increase.
Contact: Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, or Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org. Both can be reached at 518-867-8383.