Senate Bill 32

"An Act relating to medical assistance payments for home and community-based services and provision of personal care services in a recipient's home; and providing for an effective date."

What: SB 32 acts as a rate review for payment received by care providers, both in home and community-based services. These care providers work to improve the quality of life and amount of personal independence for Alaskans with disabilities. There has been no rate review for these professionals for over a decade. With it enacted, the wages received by those care providers will be examined and adjusted to fit rising costs of inflation, and to ensure that care providers are paid fairly for the work that they do.

Why: Being a care provider for home and community-based services can be a demanding job for those in the field. The fact that there has been no structured rate review for such a great amount of time, despite the rising cost of living, means that many Alaskans working as home and community-based service providers cannot earn enough to make ends meet, despite the taxing nature of their jobs. These individuals work to provide a very needed and appreciated service in the State of Alaska, and the Governor’s Council is in great support of creating a detailed plan in order to review their wages and, ultimately, pay them the amount of money they deserve for their tireless hours spent in a world where costs are currently on the rise.

 

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