Committee hears bill to let spouses be paid caregivers under EDWP waiver

Leader Jones presented LC 521059 to a Senate committee, saying the measure would change the EDWP waiver to allow spouses to be paid caregivers when only state funds are involved.

Lisa Leach, director of operations for FreedomCare, told the committee the change is intended to address a worsening shortage of home-health workers. “We’re asking for that allowance for the caregiver to be the spouse,” Leach said, adding that the program’s existing daily stipend is about $110 and that carriers typically must pay roughly 60% of that to a caregiver — “so that caregiver would get about $66 a day.”

Leach said allowing spouses to be paid would reduce institutionalization and could be less costly than nursing-home placement: “You’re going to save $60,000 per year per member under structured family care versus PSS,” she said. She also described how other states have used waivers to expand who may be paid as a caregiver and noted administrative details remain to be worked out.

Committee members pressed for details. A senator asked whether the change would affect federal matching funds; witnesses and the sponsor said federal rules currently bar spouses from being paid where federal funds apply, so the bill is written to apply only when state funds are used. Leach said the EDWP waiver already covers people over age 65 and that a separate waiver category covers some 18–64 disabled beneficiaries.

The committee was told there is not yet a fiscal note; the chair said staff would provide one to the sponsor. No vote was taken. The matter will return for further review once the fiscal impact and implementation details are available.