Georgia Governor Signs State Fiscal Year 2024 Budget, Disregards Two Home Care Funding Increases

On Friday, May 5, Governor Brian Kemp signed HB 19—the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024 budget. With his signature, the Governor issued a list of disregards to budget language including the following pertaining to two (2) provider increases supported by the HCAOA Georgia Chapter membership:

• The disregard note for the 4 percent increase for all Medicaid EDWP home- and community-based services (HCBS) providers:
  • Section 17, pertaining to the Department of Community Health, page 65, line 94.12: The General Assembly seeks to appropriate $10,511,896 in state general funds to the Department of Community Health for Medicaid: Aged, Blind, and Disabled program for a 4% rate increase for home and community-based service providers. While ensuring service providers are adequately compensated is important in maintaining a stable provider network, the General Assembly seeks to fund these increased by reducing required base bunding for Medicaid, which is likely to create a shortfall in the program. Therefore, the agency is directed to disregard the language included in line 94.12 and utilize funds for expense and growth needs in accordance with the purpose of the program and general law powers of the department.
• The disregard note for the 5 percent increase for all Medicaid GAPP providers:
  • Section 17, pertaining to the Department of Community Health, page 65, line 94.13: The General Assembly seeks to appropriate $854,167 in state general funds to the Department of Community Health for the Medicaid: Aged, Blind, and Disabled program for a 5% rate increase for Georgia Pediatric Program (GAPP) providers. While ensuring service providers are adequately compensated is important in maintaining a stable provider network, the General Assembly seeks to fund these increases by reducing required base funding for Medicaid, which is likely to create a shortfall in the program. Therefore, the agency is directed to disregard the language included in line 94.13 and utilize funds for expense and growth needs in accordance with the purpose of the program and general law powers of the department.

​The Governor’s list of disregards totaled 134, including the two above. The HCAOA Georgia Chapter is being advised that the disregards will, in effect, remove both increases from the DCH SFY 2024 budget.  
 
The Georgia Chapter will continue to monitor these adverse budget changes and advocate to restore these increases.