S105 - 2021 Appropriations Act. (SL 2021-180)

Overview: Section 39.21 of S.L. 2021-180 provides that, of the funds appropriated from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), $133 million must be used for a one-time payment to eligible Medicaid and NC Health Choice providers to be passed along as a one-time bonus of up to $2,000 to eligible direct care workers. The provider types listed below are eligible for the one-time payment:

• Providers of services under the Community Alternatives Program for Children (CAP/C) waiver, the Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) waiver, the Innovations waiver, or the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) waiver.
• Personal care services (PCS) providers.
• Intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ICF/IID), including ICF/IID group homes.
• Home health providers.
• Nursing homes.
• Behavioral health residential facilities.

To be eligible for the one-time bonus, an employee must meet all the following criteria:

• The employee is a direct care worker as determined by DHHS. The definition of direct care worker must include workers who interact directly with patients or clients or who provide direct care support services at a licensed health care facility.
• The employee has been employed by the same eligible provider since March 10, 2020, through August 1, 2021.
• The employee has worked at least 1,000 hours providing direct care services between March 10, 2020, and August 1, 2021.
• The employee is not an employee of the State or eligible for any other employment-related bonus under the act.

To participate in the bonus payment program, an eligible provider must submit to DHHS, by January 31, 2022, the number of direct care workers it has employed who are eligible for the bonus and a description of the positions held by those employees. Eligible providers must also attest that the funds received will be provided directly to eligible direct care workers. DHHS must review the information submitted by the providers against available data to determine the correct number of eligible employees. DHHS must notify a provider by March 1, 2022, of any determination that the provider or an employee is not eligible for the bonus payment program.

DHHS must calculate the amount of the bonus payment based on the number of eligible employees designated by eligible providers, up to the amount of $2,000, and DHHS must issue the payments to eligible providers by March 1, 2022.

This section became effective July 1, 2021.