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Washington State Department of Social & Health Services

*Aging and Long-Term Support Administration*







DSHS Letterhead

March 29, 2024

Dear Community Partners ?

Today Governor Inslee signed the final 2024 supplemental operating budget. This supplemental budget is intended to fix errors and make mandatory adjustments, but it also made important investments in social services for individuals served by the Aging and Long- Term Support Administration (ALTSA). ALTSA saw a modest 0.6% overall increase in our budget. Around 90% of ALTSA?s budget goes directly to providers and client services.

Among these investments, we are pleased to highlight:

*Assisted Living Rate Increase: *Increases the Medicaid assisted living labor component from 79 to 82 percent of the rate model to address workforce and access issues. Assisted living rates are significantly out of alignment with other residential settings, and increasing the rate will allow these facilities additional funding needed in this competitive direct care worker marketplace. ($8.4 million total funds; $3.9 million GF-S)

*Assisted Living High Medicaid Occupancy Rate: *Expands the daily add-on rate for assisted living facilities serving high Medicaid occupancy from 90 this fiscal year to 75 percent effective July 1, 2024. Facilities with Medicaid occupancy rates at 75 percent and higher will receive this add-on to support these facilities with high Medicaid occupancy. ($10.7 million total funds: $5.0 million GF-S)

*Specialty Dementia Care: *Increases the Specialized Dementia Care (SDC) add-on rate from $43.48 to $50 per day per client. The current rate is lower than comparable rates, which creates a disincentive for facilities to accept residents who qualify for this specialty contract. This request will impact approximately 1,153 clients and 83 facilities. ($2.7 million total funds; $1.3 million GF-S)

*Senior Nutrition Program: *In an effort to backfill some pandemic era funding that has ended, this funding would support approximately 13,200 seniors with site-based, pantry, and home-delivered meals through their local area agency on aging nutrition programs helping to reduce food insecurity. ($12 million GF-S)

*GOSH Housing: *The Governor?s Opportunity for Supportive Housing (GOSH) program will increase by 175 slots. GOSH serves individuals who are ready to discharge from the state?s behavioral health hospitals and community behavioral health facilities. The program provides rental subsidies and supportive housing services to assist these individuals to live independently in the community rather than in a licensed residential setting. ($3.3 million GF-S; 0.5 FTE)

*Nursing Services Rates: *Rates for contracted Skilled Nursing and Private Duty Nursing services for long-term services and supports clients are increased by 7.5 percent as of July 1, 2024. ($846,000 total funds; $408,000 GF-S)

*WA Cares: *A total of $8.6 million of the Long-Term Services & Supports Trust Account is appropriated for several efforts, including increasing staffing, developing necessary technologies, conducting outreach to the community and constituents who will be eligible for the program including the new improvement made this legislative session to create a portable benefit for individuals that move out of state and developing a digital access tool to allow Washingtonians to easily access information about their eligibility and WA Cares benefit.

*Adult Day Services Rates: *Adult day health and adult day care provides important skilled treatments and therapies for participants or respite services for families caring for loved ones. The supplemental budget provides a 20% rate increase to Adult Day Health and Adult Day Care provider rates. This is intended to retain current providers as well as help attract additional providers into this sector. ($1.3 million total funds; $641,000 GF-S)

*Sign Language Workgroup: *DSHS ALTSA Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) helps individuals who communicate through American Sign Language (ASL) get interpretation services needed to access state services. There is a shortage of interpreters in Washington state. The supplemental budget creates a workgroup, led by ODHH to address the shortage of qualified American Sign Language and protactile interpreters. ($926,000 GF-S; 0.5 FTE)

To review the final budget in full, please visit the *_OFM Budget website_* [ [link removed] ].

Bea Rector Signature

*Bea Rector*
"Assistant Secretary"
Aging and Long-Term Support Administration
Washington State Department of Social and Health Services




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