In addition to the announcements, Human Services remains in discussion with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on more than $100 million in additional proposals, and remains optimistic that these will be approved in the coming months. This includes funding funding the development of 100 deed-restricted, subsidized, and accessible rental units for Medicaid beneficiaries across the state for Healthy Homes.
The plan will bring in $329 million in federal funding, for a total state and federal investment of $634 million in these programs. The wide-ranging plan will use federal matching dollars through the American Rescue Plan to enhance, expand and strengthen home and community-based services under the state’s Medicaid program known as NJ FamilyCare.
Highlights of the approved initiatives include:
· Increasing the Personal Care Assistant rate to $23 per hour to help the workforce that cares for older adults in need of home care services.
· Increasing the Personal Preference Program rate to $19 per hour to help recipients who hire and manage someone to provide home care services.
· Increasing rates for support coordinators who work as case managers for Medicaid recipients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
· Boosting rates for assisted living facilities, comprehensive care home and assisted living programs to strengthen these crucial facilities.
· Rewarding with higher daily rates assisted living facilities, comprehensive care home and assisted living programs that take on a higher percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries.
· Creating incentives to help transition individuals from nursing homes to home and community-based settings.
· Creating incentives to recruit more and retain existing homecare workers.
· Helping traumatic brain injury care providers offset costs associated with COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
· Strengthening the educational and informational resources available to community members around the various home and community-based services available under NJ FamilyCare.
Additional details and meeting slides on these updates will be available on the DMAHS website here.
