How Do Recent State and Federal Laws Impact Our Nations’ Caregivers? 

Emily Sagle of Stafford, VA is a full-time caregiver for her 11-year-old son, William. He’s nonverbal, autistic, and suffers from various medical and genetic conditions that make it difficult for him to attend public school. Due to the amount of assistance William needs each day, Sagle cannot work outside the home.

During the pandemic, Sagle’s family benefited from a federal rule called “Appendix K.” Under this pandemic-era federal Medicaid rule, caregivers received up to 40 paid hours per week based on a calculation that takes into account specific nursing or institutional criteria such as toileting, feeding, and self-care. The reimbursement came from a 50-50 split of Medicaid and state dollars.

The program allowed legally-responsible individuals (such as parents who are already legally responsible to take care of their children) to be paid $16/hour to provide care. There was a huge push for this to continue after the pandemic, and it was initially extended until July 2024 in Virginia. With help from Sagle and her family, Delegate Joshua Cole (D-Fredericksburg) patroned HB 1318, which changes the rules for Medicaid home waivers in Virginia. HB 1318 passed, modifying Home and Community-Based Services Medicaid Waiver rules for a long-term solution. Since then, Delegate Cole also began a dialogue with The ARC to tailor the legislation for maximum benefit for families. Sagle is thankful to Delegate Cole, Governor Youngkin, and lawmakers on both sides who recognized the need for a long-term solution in the form of legislation.

Family Caregivers Need Assistance

News Alert: Did Yesterday’s Medicaid Payment System “Blackout” Change Anything?    

Yesterday, President Trump’s administration announced a freeze on federal grants and loans to assess their alignment with the administration’s priorities. Although Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid were supposed to be exempt, the freeze (caused by an inadvertent server “outage” according to the Trump administration) temporarily affected Medicaid payment portals, causing great concern for healthcare providers nationwide, who yesterday were unable to access the system to secure Federal payments that have already been allocated to the states. 

Critter Corner: New Law Gives a Significant Boost to Veterans and their Caregivers       

Dear Hayek, 

I heard that a new law was recently enacted that enhances the delivery of services for veterans, their families, their caregivers, and their survivors. Can you tell me more about it?   

Thanks for your help!

 Vetta Rinns