HF 1225 - Personal Care Assistance Services Rate Methodology

• Establishes a new payment rate methodology for personal care assistance services, enhanced care personal care assistance services, and qualified professional services based on wage indices and component values.

• Requires Commissioner of Human Services to determine rates using Minnesota-specific median wages from Bureau of Labor Statistics for relevant occupational classifications, with updates every two years starting January 1, 2022.

• Mandates personal care assistance provider agencies submit cost data at least once every five years, with temporary suspension of payments for providers failing to submit within 90 days of deadline.

• Requires Commissioner to evaluate component values and publish findings to legislature by August 1, 2022, and assess long-term impacts on wages, benefits, hours worked, and retention by August 1, 2025.

• Creates new annual direct care workforce report requirement beginning August 1, 2020, to assess number of workers employed, hours worked, wages, benefits, retention rates, and job vacancies across home and community-based services providers.