Providers urge larger inflationary increases, guardianship funding and specialty ICF licensure as Senate reviews HB1012

Chairman Deaver and members of the Senate Appropriations Human Resources Division heard more than a dozen provider, family and consumer witnesses urging expanded funding and program changes in House Bill 1012 during a multi-hour public input session.

Representatives of developmental disability providers, corporate guardianship services, residential intermediate care facilities and home- and community-based providers asked lawmakers for larger inflationary increases than those approved in the House, targeted appropriations to reduce waiting lists and administrative changes to make high-acuity care financially sustainable.

Why it matters: HB1012 contains the Department of Health and Human Services executive budget lines for developmental disability services, corporate guardianship, intermediate care facilities (ICFs) and related home- and community-based services. Witnesses said current reimbursement levels and unfunded administrative requirements are forcing turnover, limiting capacity and threatening specialized programs that serve medically complex children and adults.

Providers pressed for a larger ‘‘inflator’’ than the amounts already included in the House budget. Angela Denias, executive director of the North Dakota Association of Community Providers, told the committee, “We are doing what matters for people who matter,” and asked the panel to support a 4% increase in year one and 3% in year two to match recent federal inflation trends. Denias said the current payment system was designed to be self-sustaining only if inflationary adjustments keep pace with federal inflation rates and warned that payment shortfalls limit providers’ ability to offer competitive wages.

Multiple witnesses described workforce pressures. Sargi Anowitski, Lehi operations officer for Community Options, said there are more than 5,000 direct support professionals (DSPs) in the state but reported a statewide DSP turnover rate of about 41% and a…