Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Family Caregiver Payments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances pilot to pay family members as caregivers for certain young people with disabilities
Summary
Representatives voted to give a do-pass recommendation to bill 02/2005, a pilot that would allow family members to be paid caregivers for certain young people with disabilities; sponsors described it as a one-time pilot with possible Medicaid integration in 2028.
The Appropriations Committee gave a do-pass recommendation to bill 02/2005, a pilot program that would permit families to receive payments when they provide home-based care for certain young people with disabilities.
Representative Nelson, who explained the bill, said the policy does not increase total program spending but shifts payment from licensed caregiver agencies to eligible family members in certain cases. "This is a very specialized area," Nelson said, noting that many of the cases involve intensive, 24-hour care and that families often forgo outside employment to provide care.
Nelson told the committee the appropriation in this bill is roughly $7.3 million and that the bill is currently structured as one-time pilot funding. He said the Department of Human Services had reported a waiting list for the program and that if those people were moved into institutional care the state cost could be substantially higher. Nelson also said the Legislature expects potential Medicaid participation: a cross-disability waiver could allow Medicaid to share costs on a 50/50 basis beginning in 2028, which would affect future general-fund requirements.
Committee members asked about whether family caregivers would be certified. Nelson said family members would need to go through a certification process similar to the state's qualified service provider (QSP) model and that the bill contemplates a daily rate or a 15-minute increment payment structure used in the HCBS model. Representative Martinson seconded the do-pass motion.
After discussion and motion, the clerk conducted a roll call and the committee reported the motion carried (announced as 20 yes, 0 no and 3 absent). The committee designated a carrier for further action; Representative Rohrer was named as a potential carrier with Representative Nelson on standby for questions.
The bill's proponents framed the pilot as both a family-support and cost-saving measure compared with institutional care. Committee members emphasized the workforce shortage in licensed caregiver agencies and said compensating family members could help keep individuals at home, which many families prefer.
