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Committee considers targeted rate increases for home‑health and QSP personal‑care services
Summary
The Division of Medical Services presented targeted rate changes for home health and qualified service providers (QSPs). The department said changes aim to harmonize rates across services and reduce incentives for providers to favor one service over another; specific proposed per‑15‑minute rates were disclosed in testimony.
The Appropriations - Human Resources Division reviewed multiple targeted rate increase requests for home‑health and QSP (qualified service provider) personal‑care, homemaking and companion services.
Sarah Acre, executive director for the Division of Medical Services, said the changes are intended to harmonize rates so agencies are not financially incentivized to provide one service over another. She told the committee the department seeks consistency “so that providers who may provide one or multiple services can really provide one service at the same rate.”
Acre gave specific proposed unit rates for QSP services: QSP nursing services would move from $17.64 to $19.71 per 15‑minute unit; QSP aide services would be set at $9.40 per 15‑minute unit; companion services would move from $7.14 to $9.10 per 15‑minute unit. Acre said the governor’s budget partially funded agency requests and that the proposed numbers represent a first step toward harmonization, not a final rebasing across all services.
Committee members asked whether the amounts fully harmonize all services and pressed the department to return with percentage increases and deeper rate‑study detail. Acre said the department would follow up with the committee on percentage amounts and on longer‑term rate study needs.
No formal committee vote on these targeted rate increases is recorded in the transcript; senators expressed general support for moving toward parity but asked for more detailed analysis before final action.
