Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 50 - PUBLIC HEALTH-MEDICAL ASSISTANCE
Part XXI - Home and Community-Based Services Waivers
Subpart 7 - Community Choices Waiver
Chapter 95 - Reimbursement
Section XXI-9503 - Direct Support/Service Worker Wages, Other Benefits, and Workforce Retention Bonus Payments

1. Personal assistance service (PAS) providers that were providing services on or after October 1, 2021 and employing direct service workers (DSWs) will receive the equivalent of a $5.50 per hour rate increase.

2. DSWs providing self-direction PAS on or after July 31, 2022 shall be paid a minimum wage floor of $9 per hour.

3. Adult day health care (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).

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

5. The rate increase, 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.

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

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

2. The PAS and ADHC direct support/service 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 direct support/service 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 providers shall be subject to audit by LDH.

2. Providers shall provide to LDH or its representative all requested documentation to verify that they are in compliance with the direct support/service 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. 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 enhancements, wage and non-wage benefits and/or bonus payments were paid directly to direct support/service workers may result in the following:

1. Providers 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: