Direct care workers in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities in Maine are expected to see wage increases to at least 125% of the state’s minimum wage after Gov. Janet Mills (D) announced last week a plan to increase Medicaid payment rates for 225 facilities.
The state had planned to increase wages for those workers beginning in July 2022, but the Mills administration directed the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to use $4.5 million in previously appropriated funding to begin increasing wages at the start of the year “in line with legislative intent.”
“Not only does it align with legislative intent, but it also reaffirms our collective commitment to supporting our dedicated staff who have logged many long hours during this pandemic caring for Maine’s most vulnerable citizens,” Maine Health Care Association President and CEO Angela Westhoff said, adding that the association appreciated the expedited support.
As the new year began, the minimum wage for workers increased in 21 states and 35 cities across the country, according to a report from the National Employment Law Project. Four more states and 22 cities and counties are expected to raise their rates later this year.
“In total, 25 states and 56 municipalities — a record-high 81 jurisdictions — will raise their minimum wage over the course of 2022. Forty-four cities and counties will have surpassed a $15 minimum wage for some or all employers at some point in 2022,” according to the report.
