MEMO: PA Homecare Association Calls on Legislators to Stand Up for Direct Care Workers at Budget Hearings

As Pennsylvania lawmakers scrutinize Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget during House and Senate Appropriations hearings today and tomorrow, the Pennsylvania Homecare Association (PHA) urges both Republican and Democratic legislators to focus on the direct care worker crisis in their communities. Because of the Commonwealth’s low reimbursement rates, Pennsylvania struggles to recruit and retain direct care workers for the 400,000 seniors, children, and adults with disabilities who rely on home care, home health, and hospice providers. Every month, more than 112,500 shifts go unfilled across Pennsylvania due to these workforce shortages.

Legislators must demand answers and more funding to keep their constituents safe and healthy.

Governor Shapiro’s Proposed Investment in Direct Care Workers Falls Short
Governor Shapiro’s proposed budget provides a funding increase for only 6 percent of home care workers – those in the participant-directed service model where participants self-manage workers to provide their care.

Governor Shapiro’s Budget Proposal Leaves Behind 94 Percent of Direct Care Workers
Governor Shapiro’s proposal disregards 150,000+ direct care workers – 94 percent of the workers – who deliver the same services, called Personal Assistance Services, through the “agency model,” where a provider organization recruits and manages the workforce on behalf of the care recipient.  The proposal also disregards thousands of nurses who provide shift nursing services to adults and children with medically complex needs.

Shapiro Administration’s Own Study Calls for a 23% Increase in Reimbursement Rates
The Shapiro Administration’s study found that stagnant rates over more than a decade have resulted in a need for significant investment in programs to protect the health and safety of 200,000+ Pennsylvanians.  The study specifically calls for a 23 percent increase for Personal Assistance Services within the Office of Long-Term Living to support direct care worker wages and cost of care oversight and delivery.

Pennsylvania Reimbursement Lags Behind Our Neighbors for Personal Assistance and Nursing ServicesPennsylvania is underfunding personal assistance services by an average of 40 percent compared to all neighboring states. For example, West Virginia reimburses at $25.44 per hour, while Pennsylvania lags at just $20.63 per hour. In the last decade, reimbursement rates increased by only $1.91/hour, with direct care worker wages increased by more than $4.50/hour in the same time frame. Yet, instead of closing this gap, Governor Shapiro’s proposal further delays the inevitable investment that Pennsylvania needs to make for its aging and disabled populations. Similarly, in home Shift Nursing services also lag behind comparable states risking the health and safety of medically fragile children and adults with complex care needs. The governor’s budget did not 

Pennsylvania’s Direct Care Workforce Crisis Leaves Shifts Unfilled, Vulnerable Pennsylvania at Risk
Each month, 112,500 home care shifts for adults and 27% of all authorized pediatric home nursing hours, go unfilled due to unacceptably low reimbursement rates, making it even harder to maintain a stable workforce. Home-based nurses and direct care workers are regularly driven out of the home-based care industry in search of better pay.

Now is the Time for Action
Legislators have the opportunity to stand up for their constituents and demand that Pennsylvania increase reimbursement rates for direct care workers and protect access to critical home care services for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable populations.

Pennsylvania falls short in supporting its aging population nationally and in comparable programs within our borders. Providers have stretched funds as far as they can go. 

A lack of action to increase rates will jeopardize the quality of care for our residents, risk the health and safety of our friends and neighbors, and further limit the compensation that can be paid to more than 200,000 direct care workers and nurses across the state.

About the Pennsylvania Homecare Association
The Pennsylvania Homecare Association is a statewide membership organization of more than 700 homecare, home health, and hospice providers. PHA members provide quality care and serve as advocates for their patients and clients on a variety of healthcare-related issues. PHA and its members work to improve professional standards and ensure access to quality home care throughout the Commonwealth. For more information about PHA and its initiatives, visit http://www.pahomecare.org. For media inquiries, please [email protected].