Medicaid Increases Announced For Home & Community Based Service Providers

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Maryland Department of Health on Monday announced Medicaid rate increases for home and community-based services (HCBS) providers.

Those providers received a 10 percent match in spending from the American Rescue Plan Act to strengthen HCBS services over the coronavirus pandemic.

The state's budget bill for the 2022 fiscal year, which was passed in May, requires Medicaid to spend at least 75 percent of those ARPA dollars for the provider rate increase.

The state is implementing these increases:

• A 5.5 percent rate increase for most HCBS developmental disability providers

• A 5.4 percent rate increase for most HCBS behavioral health and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) providers

• A 5.2 percent rate increase for community-based long-term services and support providers

MDH Secretary Dennis Schrader said the increased rates will help HCBS providers strengthen service delivery to recipients by enhancing services.

"These rate increases will prove instrumental in further serving our Medicaid recipient population," Schrader said. "The new rates are the result of working closely with Medicaid providers and stakeholders, and they will help Marylanders who need assistance the most."