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Witness testifies for S607 to increase Medicaid pass‑throughs to direct care workers; committee carries bill over
Summary
Witness Maria Reyes told the Senate subcommittee that S607's pass‑through schedule would raise wages for home‑care workers and lift many out of poverty; the committee carried the bill over for further drafting and enforcement language.
The Senate Medical Affairs Subcommittee heard testimony on S607, a bill authored by Senator Jackson that would require a portion of Medicaid reimbursement to be used for direct care worker compensation under a stepped pass‑through schedule.
Witness Maria Reyes, a South Carolina resident who has experience as a family caregiver, told the committee that South Carolina previously raised pay for certain home‑care workers to roughly $25 an hour and urged S607 to extend scheduled increases and equity to all direct care workers, including those providing home‑and‑community‑based services. Reyes said the bill would "lift up our workers out of poverty" if the pass‑through applied broadly and asked lawmakers to include safeguards to prevent diversion of funds.
Committee members thanked the witness and agreed to work on enforcement language; the chair then called for a motion and the subcommittee voted to carry the bill over for further work and drafting.
What happens next: The bill will be carried over for additional drafting on enforcement and pass‑through safeguards, with staff and sponsors to coordinate language addressing oversight and protection against diversion of Medicaid funds.
