State Advocacy Opportunities
Important Update: Conference Conferees have been named and will begin negotiating the budget this Sunday, March 3, 2024.
Neither the Senate’s proposed budget, nor the House version of the budget provide the critical 18% increase for ALL Waiver services. The 18% increase we are requesting is to cover the minimum wage increase as well as the 5% not received in the 2023. The currently proposed Senate and House budget when coupled with the new minimum wage result in a net decrease in compensation for the dedicated Direct Support Professionals doing this critical, life-altering work. Please tell the conferees to include an 18% increase in the final budget for all DD waiver services. You can find contact information at the bottom of this page. Thank you for speaking up and telling our representatives this matters to you!
Tell Your Legislator: They Must Raise Rates for ALL DD Waiver Services by 18%!
All DD Waiver Services must receive increases in this Budget, not just a handpicked few.
The last time Core Waiver Services like Sponsored Residential, Group Home, Community Engagement, Community Coaching, Group Day, Therapeutic Consultation, Nursing and Supported Living received an increase in pay was July 1, 2022. When that increase was given, it was to offset years of lower than acceptable rates and a looming increase in the minimum wage. Most of those services rely on and are provided by DSPs, Direct Support Professionals, and unfortunately due to the rate models developed by the Commonwealth their pay is unacceptably close to the minimum wage.
Currently the Governor’s budget, while extremely generous with waiver slots, does not include an increase in these core services. This is despite the fact that on January 1, 2025 the minimum wage will go up to $13.50/hour, a 12.5% increase. Another minimum wage jump is set for January 1, 2026 to $15/hour. In the 2023 budget these services did not receive a 5% increase which could be passed on to staff to compensate for high inflation and cost of living increases. Other services did.
Currently the House Budget has a 3% increase for services like Sponsored, Group Home, Community Engagement, Coaching, Therapeutic Consultation and In-Home. The House has included a 3% increase for two years. Our interpretation is that we would receive 3% this July and another 3% increase in July 2025.
The Senate has only included 2.1% in their budget, and it is for one year.
The General Assembly must include within this budget an increase for ALL DD waiver services to compensate for the 12.5% increase in minimum wage set to occur during 2024-2025 fiscal year. If not, we will be unable to maintain the Direct Support Professionals for these Core Services that we have worked so hard to attempt to regain since the pandemic. We will be back at square one. We must increase pay to Direct Support Professionals! This is the only way to do it.
The Virginia Network of Private Providers (VNPP) and the Virginia Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs (vaACCSES) are both recommending an 18% increase for all DD Waiver Services to include the increase in minimum wage as well as to compensate for inflation that was not kept up with in last year’s budget.
Please support this increase for All DD Waiver Services. This can’t wait another year. It has to be now!
How to Help
Contact the Senate and House Budget Conferees, introduce yourself and tell them who you are and what you do. Let them know if you will be visiting them at their offices and tell them we must:
- Increase DD Waiver Rates by 18% for ALL DD Waiver Services to offset the increase in minimum wage happening this budget cycle and to compensate for inflation. It can’t be for a select few!
- Support the advocacy of the Virginia Network of Private Providers (VNPP) and Virginia Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs (vaACCSES) and raise rates for ALL WAIVER SERVICES.
You can find your Senator and Delegate at https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/.
Without these increases, we will be unable to support the individuals receiving new slots.
You can help by telling the Budget Conferees below.
Tell them we must increase Rates for all Medicaid DD Waiver Services by 18% effective July 1, 2024 and this is essential to meet ongoing economic pressures including the mandated 12.5% increase in the minimum wage to ensure the recruitment and retention of a qualified workforce to serve individuals that receive waiver slots. Core waiver services have not received an increase since 2022 and current rates are calculated as of March 2019.
House Budget Conferees
Delegate Terry Austin
Delegate Rob Bloxom
Delegate David Bulova
Delegate Betsy Carr
Delegate Mark Sickles
Delegate Luke Torian
Senate Budget Conferees
Senator Jennifer Boysko
Senator Creigh Deeds
Senator Mamie Locke
Senator Louise Lucas
Senator Ryan McDougle
Senator Todd Pillion