On October 24th, Senator Casey was joined by 17 colleagues to introduce a bill that would offer states a 10% boost in federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for two years to support Medicaid home and community-based programs and providers. As home and community-based services providers struggle to find and retain adequate staff, Senator Casey acknowledges the federal government can support states in stabilizing the Medicaid HCBS sector.
The bill offers a breadth of allowable activities states could pursue including increasing provider rates, expanding training programs, providing retention or recruitment incentives, and expanding slots in existing waiver programs. LeadingAge President and CEO, Katie Smith Sloan, praised the recognition of HCBS providers and urged additional lawmakers to cosponsor this bill in a statement. More on the bill can be found in Senator Casey’s release.
