Pennsylvania committee hears that low Medicaid rates and staffing shortages are limiting home care access

Chairwoman Madden convened the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee for an informational session on home and community‑based services, where leaders of statewide home‑care trade groups told the panel that low Medicaid reimbursement, high turnover and closed managed‑care networks are restricting access to care for older Pennsylvanians.

Mia Haney, chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Home Care Association and executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of HCBS Providers, told the committee that ‘‘home care is a person‑centered service’’ and that the sector serves roughly 300,000 Pennsylvanians annually across all 67 counties. Haney said the currently published Medicaid reimbursement rate for personal assistance services—$20.63 per hour—is insufficient to cover operating costs, training and wages.

The shortfall, Haney said, contributes to an industry‑wide turnover rate of about 79 percent and to an estimated 112,000 approved shifts missed each month. ‘‘We are in crisis and…