A “landmark” federal rule requiring providers to allocate at least 80% of home- and community-based payments to direct care worker pay has been finalized today, according to a fact sheet posted on the White House website, confirming that the final rule contains the payment allocation requirement that was part of the proposed rule.
The Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services final rule, will “improve the quality caregiving jobs,” the White House said, adding that the rule will enable states to consider unique experiences of small and rural providers “while ensuring their employees receive their fair share of Medicaid payments and continued training as well as the delivery of quality care.”
The full rule text was not available.
“Higher wages will likely reduce turnover, leading to higher quality of care for older adults and people with disabilities across the nation, as studies have shown,” the post said.
States also will be required to be more transparent in how much they pay for services and how they set those rates, according to the White House.
The rule had been proposed in July and was sent for final review in January. Its impending release was expected, as the White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs completed its review last week and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had indicated that it planned to issue a final rule this month.
The White House also announced that the Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule was finalized today.
CMS had not posted any details about either rule as of 8:45 a.m. ET.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
