FLSA Funding Advocacy Continues
Distribution of FLSA Funds
LeadingAge New York, along with other home care associations, had a call on Feb. 22nd with the Department of Health (DOH) to seek clarity on numerous outstanding questions on implementing the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The most pressing issue is how to efficiently distribute the $22.8 million that DOH has earmarked as the state share lump sum payment that will be paid to managed care plans around Mar. 2nd. The $22.8 million is to cover the FLSA implementation costs from Oct. 2015 – March 31, 2016.
LeadingAge NY has advocated that the funds should be distributed to home care providers for all of the costs associated with implementing FLSA, not just the overtime costs. On the Feb. 22nd conference call we again stressed the importance of having the funds quickly distributed for the incurred costs since Oct. 2015. We have submitted numerous questions to DOH and made suggested revisions to the FLSA attestation forms. We have requested another call at the end of this week.
We will keep you posted on any new information or clarification we receive from DOH.
Another “Draft” FLSA Survey
Last week DOH sent another version of a “draft” FLSA survey to LeadingAge NY and other home care associations. We have been working with the DOH and their actuary, Mercer, for designing a survey that can be sent to all home care providers and Fiscal Intermediaries to determine a truer cost for implementing the FLSA. The results of this survey will inform the managed care and Medicaid fee-for-service rate cost after March 31, 2016.
Contact: Cheryl Udell, cudell@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8871