Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 50 - PUBLIC HEALTH-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
Part XXI - Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
Subpart 3 - Adult Day Health Care Waiver
Chapter 29 - Reimbursement
Section XXI-2903 - Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) Direct Support Worker Wages, Other Benefits, and Workforce Retention Bonus Payments [Formerly LAC 50:XXI.2901]

1. ADHC providers that were providing ADHC services on or after October 1, 2021 and employing ADHC direct support workers will receive a rate increase. The ADHC reimbursement rates shall be rebased resulting in an average increase of $4.31 per hour (rates differ based on facility specific transportation rate).

2. For direct support workers employed at the ADHC centers on or after October 1, 2021, 70 percent of the ADHC provider rate increases shall be passed directly to the ADHC direct support workers in the form of a minimum wage floor of $9 per hour and in other wage and non-wage benefits.

3. All ADHC providers affected by this rate increase shall be subject to passing 70 percent of their rate increases directly to the ADHC direct support worker in various forms. These forms include a minimum wage floor of $9 per hour and wage and non-wage benefits. This wage floor and wage and non-wage benefits are effective for all affected ADHC direct support workers of any working status, whether full-time or part-time.

4. The ADHC provider rate increases, wage floor, and/or wage and non-wage benefits will end March 31, 2025 or when the state's funding authorized under section 9817 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Pub. L. No. 117-002) is exhausted.

5. The Department of Health (LDH) reserves the right to adjust the ADHC direct support worker wage floor and/or wage and non-wage benefits as needed through appropriate rulemaking promulgation consistent with the Administrative Procedure Act.

1. ADHC providers who provided services from April 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022 shall receive bonus payments of $300 per month for each ADHC direct support worker that worked with participants for those months.

2. The ADHC direct support worker who provided services from April 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022 to participants must receive at least $250 of this $300 monthly bonus payment paid to the provider. This bonus payment is effective for all affected ADHC direct support workers of any working status, whether full-time or part-time.

1. The wage enhancements, wage and non-wage benefits and bonus payments reimbursed to ADHC providers shall be subject to audit by LDH.

2. ADHC providers shall provide to LDH or its representative all requested documentation to verify that they are in compliance with the ADHC direct support worker wage floor, wage and non-wage benefits and/or bonus payments.

3. This documentation may include, but is not limited to, payroll records, wage and salary sheets, check stubs, copies of unemployment insurance files, etc.

4. ADHC providers shall produce the requested documentation upon request and within the timeframe provided by LDH.

5. Non-compliance or failure to demonstrate that the wage enhancement, wage and non-wage benefits and bonus payments were paid directly to ADHC direct support workers may result in the following:

1. The ADHC provider will be subject to sanctions or penalties for failure to comply with this Rule or with requests issued by LDH pursuant to this Rule. The severity of such action will depend on the following factors: