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Committee weighs keeping ombudsman position and annualizing elder-care rate changes
Summary
Members discussed whether to backfill one-time COVID-funded long-term care ombudsman staff and the need to annualize recent ERC/ACCS rate adjustments; options include Choices for Care funding and GC matching.
The committee reviewed several elder-care items, including a long-term care ombudsman position added with one-time COVID-era funds and rate adjustments for residential care providers.
Speaker 4 explained the ombudsman office had used one-time federal COVID funds to add staff and asked whether the committee should recommend continuing a $110,000 position in the base budget. Members debated funding sources: Choices for Care reductions were proposed as possible offsets, and staff noted some Medicaid-match possibilities.
Separately, members discussed annualizing Budget Adjustment Act changes for enhanced residential care (ERC) and ACCS rates and a 2% cost-of-living adjustment for AAA case management that had been applied beginning April 1, meaning the committee needed to account for three quarters versus a full year depending on base treatment.
Ending: The committee asked staff to identify whether positions were base or one-period and to supply precise annualization numbers before sending the chart and cover memo to Appropriations.
