Home care advocates ask lawmakers for change in Dover
DOVER, Del. – Home care advocates rallied in Dover Thursday, calling for the First State to raise its Medicaid reimbursements for private duty nursing.
Additional Aid Needed
Over the last three years, those reimbursements have been increased by 21.5% for private duty nursing Medicaid rates. Additionally, MLTSS Medicaid rates saw a 13-16% increase. However, advocates say it’s not enough. Many families who rely on in-home medical care continue to go without it when there aren’t enough nurses to cover their needs.
Advocates spent Thursday asking the Joint Finance Committee to increase Medicaid long-term care and support service Medicaid reimbursement for personal care workers to $38 an hour. They say the ask represents what is needed to keep up with mandated increases in minimum wage.
Additionally, the advocates are calling for a correction to a change last year. They say that they were initially promised raised rates across the board by 16%. However, they say, managed care companies will each raise their rates differently, between 8- and 16%.
Lastly, advocates are asking for private duty nursing Medicaid rates to be increased by 5.2%, bring registered nurses’ rates up to $66.95 an hour, and licensed practical nurses’ rates up to $59.98 an hour. They say the increases are predicated on what the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says is a proper adjustment for inflation, and to recruit and retain highly skilled nurses.
Crucial Care
The Delaware Association for Home and Community Care says that when patients without access to at-home care face increased hospitalization risk, emergency room visits, safety issues, and an overall lower quality of life.
Jennifer Crissman is just one Delawarean that relies on the help. Crissman says her daughter was born in 2019 with medically complex needs, and the family has relied on Bayada Home Health Care ever since.
“It’s important because there’s nobody else that can actually watch our child. I can’t just call a babysitting service or go online. I need somebody who is medically trained to be able to take care of her,” Crissman said. “Unfortunately, in the beginning, we only had every couple of days covered because they weren’t able to get any nurses.”
Especially overnight, Crissman says the help that at-home nurses provide is significant.
“[My daughter] had so many things at night that needed to be done in order for us to even get a wink of sleep,” Crissman explained. “If someone was unable to fill the position, we would not have home care, and we were expected, obviously, to care for our daughter, along with doing all the nursing care.”
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, advocates say they will continue to request appropriate increases, as the nurses are more than just an important health resource. Crissman stresses that not only are the nurses crucial for medical support, they’re also an important part of the fabric of her family.
“The nurses become part of your family. There’s never a second where you’re home alone, Crissman said. “They’re with you every day, and they know your child in and out, just like you.”
