TRENTON – Legislation sponsored by Senator Troy Singleton that would make certain changes to hourly reimbursement rates for personal care services refunded by Medicaid was passed by the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee yesterday.
“New Jersey is losing personal care professionals to neighboring states like Pennsylvania and Delaware because we simply cannot compete with their reimbursement rates,” said Singleton (D-Burlington). “Hiring and retaining personal care assistants and home health aides is increasingly difficult because of the low reimbursement rate and hourly wages currently paid.
“By raising our rates, we will hopefully be able to address the ongoing and continuous need for quality caretakers. The work that these professionals do is truly a labor of love, and their compensation should reflect that,” continued Singleton.
The bill, S-1820, would establish a minimum $19.00 hourly reimbursement rate for personal care services within the Medicaid program and require that the increase would be dedicated to direct care worker compensation for personal care assistants and home health aides.
The bill was released from committee by a vote of 8-0, and next heads to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee for further consideration.