Feb. 3 2022. This bulletin was updated to extend the provider submission date from Feb. 4, 2022 to Feb. 11, 2022.
Jan. 27, 2022. This bulletin was updated to include new information or clarification on eligibility, changes in the appeals process and timeline.
The Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2021 approved a Medicaid budget provision for one-time bonuses up to $2,000 for eligible direct care workers and support staff. NC Medicaid's goal is to provide a bonus that is as close to the legislative goal of $2,000 as possible. This bulletin provides details on the eligibility and process for those one-time bonus payments. NC Medicaid has created a process for eligible Medicaid- and NC Health Choice-enrolled providers to submit required information to participate in the direct care worker and support staff one-time bonus.
Eligibility Requirements:
To receive funds for direct care workers and support staff they employ, providers must be Medicaid- or NC Health Choice-enrolled and recognized by NC Medicaid as one of the following service providers or as a participant in one of the following waivers:
- Personal Care Service providers (home care and adult care home)
- Intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID) including ICF/IID-level group homes
- Home health providers
- Nursing homes
- Behavioral health residential facilities including Level III and Level IV residential treatment facilities, psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs), medical management and crisis stabilization facilities and facilities providing inpatient substance use disorder treatment
- Participation in waivers:
- The Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C)
- The Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA)
- The North Carolina Innovations waiver
- The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) waiver
All providers who are eligible to participate in the direct care worker and support staff one-time bonus are responsible for identifying each of the direct care workers and support staff employed by their facility who meet the following direct care worker and support staff definition and eligibility requirements:
- For purposes of the Direct Care Worker and Support Staff One-Time Bonus, NC Medicaid defines direct care worker and support staff as “non-licensed employees of an eligible provider under S.L. 2021-180 section 39.21 who by virtue of employment either interact directly with patients or clients or provide direct care support services at a licensed health care facility”. Support Staff are defined as “individuals who prepare and serve food, medication aides, staff who provide housekeeping or maintenance and individuals who provide social and recreational support.
- Note: NC Medicaid must provide a uniform bonus amount for all eligible direct care workers and intends to provide as close to $2,000 per worker as is fundable given the available funds and number of eligible workers. NC Medicaid requests that each eligible provider also separately identify the number of licensed direct care employees who meet the eligibility criteria below, so that it can be determined whether including those employees would affect the uniform amount that could be provided to all non-licensed and licensed workers. Licensed employees meeting the direct care worker and support staff definition and eligibility requirements may only be considered eligible if funds remain available to provide the legislative and NC Medicaid goal of $2,000 bonuses per eligible employee.
- Note: NC Medicaid must provide a uniform bonus amount for all eligible direct care workers and intends to provide as close to $2,000 per worker as is fundable given the available funds and number of eligible workers. NC Medicaid requests that each eligible provider also separately identify the number of licensed direct care employees who meet the eligibility criteria below, so that it can be determined whether including those employees would affect the uniform amount that could be provided to all non-licensed and licensed workers. Licensed employees meeting the direct care worker and support staff definition and eligibility requirements may only be considered eligible if funds remain available to provide the legislative and NC Medicaid goal of $2,000 bonuses per eligible employee.
- To be eligible, a direct care worker or support staff must meet ALL of the following:
- Interact directly with residents/patients or clients, or provide direct care support services at a licensed health care facility
- Be employed by the same eligible provider since March 10, 2020, through August 1, 2021
- Have worked at least 1,000 hours providing direct care services between March 10, 2020, and August 1, 2021
- Not be not an employee of the State or otherwise eligible for any other employment-related bonus under the Current Operations Appropriations Act of 2021
FOR CLARIFICATION: Providers should only report information on current employees who have been employed since March 10, 2020, and accumulated at least 1,000 hours between March 10, 2020 and Aug. 1, 2021. Providers are not required to contact former employees to inform them about the one-time bonus.
Submission Process:
NC Medicaid has established a Direct Care Worker and Support Staff Eligibility Portal for providers to submit the number of eligible direct care workers they employ. The portal will be made available for registration and submissions on Jan. 18, 2022; a link will be distributed through a Special Bulletin.
All providers should identify one executive or authorized employee as the point of contact (POC) to register for access to the eligibility portal. The designated POC will request access through the Direct Care Worker and Support Staff Eligibility Registration page, establishing themselves as the authorized submitter. These individuals will request access through the Direct Care Worker and Support Staff Eligibility Portal by submitting one of the following registration codes:
- Single Provider Service Location: Authorized users submitting an attestation for a single provider service location will use a combination of NPI and location code; example: 123456789-001.
- Single Provider with Multiple Provider Service Locations: Authorized users submitting an attestation for a single provider NPI with multiple provider service locations will use a combination of NPI and location code; example: 123456789-001.
- Multiple Providers: Authorized users submitting attestations for multiple providers using multiple NPIs should use one provider NPI and location combination as the registration code. Upon registration, the user must email Medicaid.DCW.HelpDesk@dhhs.nc.gov with the following information to receive the ability to submit for multiple provider NPIs:
- Registration username
- Registration email
- All NPIs submitting for
- Corporate name
Upon registration, the authorized submitter will receive a username and one-time password to access the portal and the Direct Care Worker and Support Staff One-time Bonus Eligibility Form. The submitter must download, sign and attach a PDF copy of the Direct Care Worker One-time Bonus Attestation to each submission. The attestation will be located in the knowledge base on the home page of the Portal. Please note that all entry fields on the eligibility form must be completed prior to submission.
Timelines (note updates to timeline from Jan. 27, 2022):
- Jan. 31, 2022: The deadline for submission has been extended from Jan. 31, 2022 to Feb. 11, 2022. For providers who submit information by the original deadline of the Jan. 31, 2022, NC Medicaid will pay by March 1, 2022.
- For providers who submit information after Jan. 31, 2022 but by Feb. 11, 2022, NC Medicaid will pay by March 31, 2022.
- Providers are encouraged to identify and notify all employees of direct care worker bonus eligibility and which pay period they can anticipate the payment to be issued.
- March 1, 2022: NC Medicaid will review all submissions through the month of February 2022 for accuracy. For all approved submissions, NC Medicaid will issue payment directly to providers by March 1, 2022. If NC Medicaid’s internal review identifies a discrepancy, the provider will be formally notified by email with the reasoning and number of direct care workers deemed eligible by March 1, 2022.
- Within 45 days of funds receipt: Providers shall distribute the DHHS-specified one-time bonus amount to each identified direct care worker and support staff within the next practicable pay period, not to exceed 45 days from funds receipt.
Provider Determination of Direct are Worker Eligibility Status:
(formerly Direct Care Worker and Support Staff Eligibility Appeal Process)
To ensure that all eligible direct care workers and support staff participate in the one-time bonus, NC Medicaid encourages participating providers to provide all direct care workers and support staff (as defined above) an avenue to discuss determination of eligibility or ineligibility.
Upcoming Webinars:
NC Medicaid will hold webinars to provide an overview of the direct care worker and support staff one-time bonus and submission requirements on Jan. 19, 2022, and Jan. 20, 2022. Registration is now available for the webinars below.
For more information:
- Providers may contact Medicaid.DCW.HelpDesk@dhhs.nc.gov with any inquiries.
- Direct care workers should talk with their employer to resolve all inquiries on eligibility and payout.