Home Care Members: Watch for DOH Minimum Wage Survey

The Department of Health (DOH) and home care stakeholders, of which LeadingAge NY is a part, have been working to estimate the impact of wage increases on home care providers to allow the state to make appropriate adjustments to Medicaid rates. The state will provide additional funding to cover wage increases, including the increased cost of wage-sensitive benefits, for those employees whose wages are below the minimum wage. DOH will be developing a cost report to collect the detail to identify the number of employees whose pay is below the minimum wage. Currently, DOH has determined that collecting wage data through a survey is the best way to get the needed level of detail.

DOH intends to distribute an online survey to all home care providers in the next couple of weeks to collect detailed wage data. Please note that DOH will probably ask for a quick turnaround. Home care providers will probably be asked for a count of FTE employees in each wage band up to $15 per hour and additional information on contracted staff. The survey will also include an attestation form.

We suggest that members complete the survey quickly and accurately once it has been released. When DOH posts the survey, we will make sure to notify members that it is available.

Contact: Cheryl Udell, cudell@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871 or Darius Kirstein, dkirstein@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8841