The organization went from 153 employees in 2020 to 128 today. "It's a field that not a lot of people want to get into, so those that we can find, I think being able to pay a higher wage, a living wage, I think that would be the best benefit we get out of the rate increase," Tobol said. But even starting wages of $16 or $18 an hour aren't attracting enough people to work there, Family Outreach Program Manager Tyler Tobol said. Family Outreach raised the wages of some direct care workers from $11 per hour to $12.20 per hour this year, and by more in places where the cost of living is higher, such as Bozeman. Some health providers have raised wages but still struggled to draw workers and keep the ones they've got. "And it's not clear we're going to meet any of that without paying people more," Barnett said. Chan School of Public Health, said the supply of staff is inadequate to meet demand for behavioral health care across the U.S. Michael Barnett, associate professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Behavioral health can be an afterthought for policymakers, resulting in lower rates than for medical or surgical reimbursement, he said Providers across the United States say they haven't seen significant reimbursement increases in more than a decade, according to Shawn Coughlin, president of the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare. Many providers said the benchmark rates in the study are already outdated. Providers and leaders who work in behavioral health, developmental disability, long-term care, and family support services have attended the multiple hearings on rate adjustments, saying thanks for the proposed increases but asking for more. Meanwhile, the Republicans leading the House Appropriations Committee, a key budget panel, are proposing an average increase of 92% for fiscal year 2024 and 97% in 2025. Mary Caferro's bill to raise rates to the study's benchmarks - to Gianforte's plan to fund 91% of that benchmark in 2024 and 86% in 2025. The proposals range from the bill Johnson testified for - Democratic Rep. Greg Gianforte and legislators agree that Medicaid rates need to rise where they disagree is by how much. "The provider rates need to be funded so people that work in this field or that work in adjacent fields can have solid ground, a place where you can build a career," said Johnson, who makes $16.24 per hour in his position as an individual living specialist. The bill is informed by a 2022 study that recommended benchmark rates after its authors found that Montana Medicaid providers like Family Outreach were being significantly underpaid. The duo washed dishes for two hours in the back of the fast-food restaurant, where it smelled like maple syrup and sulfur.Ībout two weeks earlier, Johnson testified at a hearing at the Montana Capitol in support of a bill that seeks to raise health providers' Medicaid reimbursement rates to levels aligned with the average cost of the care they provide. Snoop Dogg played in the background as Johnson and his client drove to McDonald's, where Johnson helps his client work. The pair fist-bumped and Johnson asked what type of music the client liked. "What's up, gangsta?" Johnson said as a client got in the car one day in March. Mar 24 2023Īndrew Johnson lets his clients choose what music to play in the car.Īs an employee of Family Outreach in Helena, Montana - an organization that assists developmentally disabled people - part of his workday involves driving around, picking up clients, and taking them to work or to run errands.
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