HCAOA GA Chapter Joins Coalition for SFY 2024 Budget Medicaid Rate Increase

​The HCAOA Georgia Chapter has worked for several years promoting the need for rate increases for the home & community-based service (HCBS) providers that serve the Medicaid Elderly and Disabled Waiver Programs. While we have seen increases in the SFY 2022 and SFY 2023 budgets, we recognize that the reimbursement rates for these services still are not sufficient to allow providers to cover all costs as they serve elderly and disabled Georgians.

While workforce shortages are the leading example of cost impacts, providers are also bearing the brunt of inflationary pressures on many fronts. Since 2000, the gap between reimbursement rates and the impact of cost-of-living changes have created a reimbursement rate shortfall of $10.14 per hour.
 
The HCAOA Georgia Chapter has not been alone in working to improve reimbursement rates for the Elderly and Disabled Medicaid Waiver Programs.  And this year, that effort is growing into the following coalition:

• Home Care Association of America (HCAOA), Georgia Chapter
• Alzheimer’s Association, Georgia Chapter
• Georgia Association of Community Care Providers (GACCP)
• Leading Age Georgia

With the Georgia General Assembly convening this week to begin the 2023-2024 Session, this collation will be advocating for a 10% rate increase in the Medicaid Elderly & Disabled Waiver Program for all HCBS providers.
 
Click here for a one-page summary of the request for the SFY 2024 budget that will be under consideration during this session.
 
Please use this information to contact your local representatives and senators so that you can share the impact of low reimbursement rates on your organization and on other providers located within their districts.
 
Thank you for your participation as the HCAOA Georgia Chapter and coalition members work together for this reimbursement rate increase, which would better enable home care providers to serve elderly and disabled Georgians.
 
Remember to register for the upcoming HCAOA Georgia Chapter Conference on March 2, in Atlanta, to learn more about this and other chapter initiatives.