Direct Care Worker Wage Increase Initiatives

SFY 2024 Innovations Waiver Services DCW Wage Increase Initiative

Consistent with the 2023 Appropriations Act, Session Law 2023-134, NC Medicaid has established standard documents that LME/MCOs can use as part of a process to enable eligible Medicaid providers to meet legislative requirements for participation in the Innovations Waiver Services provider rate increase. This provider rate increase is intended to fund Innovations Waiver Service Direct Care Worker (DCW) wage increases.

As outlined in Section 9E.15 of the Session Law, in order to obtain the rate increase, an authorized user for each eligible Innovations Waiver Service provider must complete and submit to their Local Management Entity/Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO) an Innovations DCW Wage Increase Attestation and Acknowledgment Form.

At the end of State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024, the provider will also be required to document to the LME/MCO, using a second standard form supplied by NC Medicaid, that they have complied with the legislative requirements regarding use of the funds provided by the rate increase.  Each provider will be responsible for keeping sufficient backup documentation of their own choosing to justify their statement that they have complied with the legislative requirements.

The NC Innovations Waiver is a federally approved 1915(c) Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver designed to meet the needs of individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) who prefer to get long-term care services and supports in their home or community instead of in an institutional setting.