Position: Evaluating
Current Status:
HB0200 In House APP Health and Social Services Subcommittee Hearing 2/22
SB0181 In Senate B&T Health and Human Services Subcommittee Hearing 2/23
On Friday, Governor Moore released his Budget plan for Fiscal Year 2024. The plan highlights included a $63.1 billion operating budget for FY24 (starting July 1, 2023). According to the Governor, his plan includes funding to accelerate Maryland's minimum wage to $15 per hour and providing $218 million for adjustments to State service providers (We are unsure if this is intended to encapsulate Medicaid providers of disability services who are contractors of the state). He stated that there is also 1M budgeted to establish the Career Pathways for Healthcare Workers Program, and 8.8B budgeted for Maryland public schools for implementation of the "Blueprint for Maryland's Future." There is 15M budgeted for a new teacher recruitment incentive program through the Maryland Educator Shortage Act.
Under the Department of Health, the Governor reported that he has included "more than $616M to fund provider rate increases in the fields of behavioral health, developmental disabilities, Medicaid, and other services, including $413M to implement legislation that will advance the next two years of increases to providers to accelerate the glidepath to $15 minimum wage." He also reported budgeting for more than $154M to expand adult dental coverage to Medicaid clients.
A review of the budget bills showed the following proposed appropriation for DDA Community Services in FY24:
M00M01.02 Community Services
General Fund Appropriation ........................... 938,281,881
Special Fund Appropriation ............................. 6,450,203
Federal Fund Appropriation ............................ 898,578,505
Total: 1,843,310,589
For comparison, the FY23 budget (current fiscal year we are in) passed by the Maryland General Assembly in April 2022 for DDA Community Services was as follows:
MOOM01.02
General Fund Appropriation ........................... 839,297,324
Special Fund Appropriation ............................. 6,450,203
Federal Fund Appropriation ............................ 691,781,570
Total: 1,537,529,097
The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition will be reviewing the budget with DDA Leadership on January 23 to determine how close this proposed increase in funding gets the DD Community toward full funding of the Rate Study rates, and whether or not it is sufficiently adjusted for a possible acceleration in the Minimum Wage in Maryland.
