Wage law pares caregivers' pay

About 2,800 disabled Arkansans face a reduction in the amount of home-based care they are allotted by the state Medicaid program because the state has yet to fully account for the minimum wage increase that takes effect Jan. 1.

Those facing the reduction receive care through the state's Independent Choices program. The program allows them to hire someone -- often a relative or friend -- to help them with daily tasks such as dressing and bathing.

The hours of care that the recipients receive each week depends on the outcome of an assessment designed to measure their needs. The hour allocations are then translated into a budget based on the $10.40 an hour that the state Medicaid program pays for the care.

The problem is that $10.40 covers not only the caregiver's wage but also unemployment and payroll taxes.

Read more: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2019/dec/22/wage-law-pares-caregivers-pay-20191222/
(Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)