Blog

MHCA issues Action Alert urging members to contact Appropriations Committee

MHCA issued an Action Alert this week urging members to contact the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee as it deliberates L.D.1995, the supplemental budget proposal. The specific request of the Committee is to include nursing homes and PNMIs in the budget fix for the 125% of minimum wage requirement.

Funding for this purpose was originally included in the biennial budget last year, but the allocation was insufficient to cover the labor portion of MaineCare reimbursement for wages, taxes and benefits, as the law requires. MHCA estimates the true cost of implementation to be $66 million total (state and federal matching funds).
 
There is an opportunity to address the discrepancy in the supplemental budget and the action alert urges lawmakers to do so. For more information, please contact ngrosso@mehca.org.