NC S610

Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to adjust Medicaid capitation payments to local management entities/managed care organizations (LME/MCOs) to increase wages for direct support personnel in intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IIDs) to align with State-owned developmental center employee wages.

Appropriates $17.5 million in State funds for fiscal year 2021-2022 and $21.8 million for fiscal year 2022-2023 as a match for approximately $59.4 million and $55.6 million in federal Medicaid funds respectively to support the wage increases.

Requires providers receiving wage increase funds to attest and verify those funds are used for increasing direct support personnel wages, with LME/MCOs able to require payroll-based accounting methods for verification.

Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop methodology using State Human Resources wage data, market-based comparisons with retail and food service sectors, and consider health insurance and retirement benefits when determining appropriate wage levels.

Requires Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approval prior to implementation, with the act expiring June 30, 2023 if approval is not granted by that date.