One-time hazard pay is on its way to almost 26,000 aides for home health care and personal care attendants who serve elderly and disabled Virginians in their homes.
However, the General Assembly still must decide whether to raise reimbursement rates for serving Medicaid recipients to help offset pending increases in the minimum wage and, if so, by how much.
The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, the administrator of the stateâs Medicaid program, last week approved $42.5 million in hazard payments to home health workers, both aides who work for private agencies and personal care attendants who work directly for Medicaid clients in their homes.
Roughly 1 2 million essential workers in Va don t have paid sick leave in a public health crisis That could soon change roanoke.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from roanoke.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By MICHAEL MARTZ
Richmond Times-Dispatch
RICHMOND â Yolanda Ross was happy to receive a check she had long awaited from Virginiaâs Medicaid program as hazard pay for working as a home health worker during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But Ross, who makes less than $10 an hour while caring for her disabled adult son in their home in Henrico County, had expected a check for $1,500.
After taxes, she received $971 â a 35% bite.
âIt was a little surprising how much got taxed on it,â Ross said.
The first checks began arriving early this month, almost three months after Gov. Ralph Northam promised the one-time payments to more than 43,000 home health workers who care for Medicaid recipients in their homes instead of institutions.