 If you have questions or comments about this newsletter or its contents, please contact your case manager.
 Date: December 18th, 2024
To: Ramsey County CDCS Participants
From: Jennifer Madigan, Ramsey County CDCS Coordinator
RE: Required Notification of CDCS budget increase and SEIU Changes
In July 2023, the Minnesota Legislature, MN Department of Human Services (DHS) and SEIU Health Care Union entered into a 2-year joint agreement including rate and budget increases for home and community-based services. Several changes have already taken effect, and the remaining changes will take effect on January 1, 2025:
CDCS Budget increase
- All CDCS budgets will receive a 4.53% increase.
-
DD/CAC/CADI/BI Waiver recipients: During the month of January, you will receive an updated Service Authorization mailed from MN Department of Human Services with your increased prorated budget amount.
-
AC/EW Waiver recipients: Your case manager will give you your new budget, and help you determine if the increase is needed/wanted.
Mandatory Changes: (Implemented by FMS and Lead Agency (NO ACTION REQUIRED):
- Increasing minimum wage to $20/hour for all staff hired through FMS (includes parents of minors and spouses).
- If you have home care services in your plan, those rates will be increased by the lead agency.
- If there are licensed waiver services in your plan with a rate increase, those rates will need to be communicated to the FMS to update in the budget spreadsheet. (Ask your case manager if this applies to you.)
NOTE: If any of these changes result in being overbudget, you will need to move funds from other budget line(s) to cover the overage. This can be done through email as an “instant addendum” and the case manager can approve.
If there are available funds after the mandatory changes, they will be placed in “unallocated”. The following changes will need an addendum form:
- Increasing wages for parents of minors or spouses up to the new maximum rates:
|
Staff/Participant Ratio
|
PPOM/Spouse Wage with PTO
|
PPOM/Spouse Wage waiving PTO
|
PPOM/Spouse ENHANCED rate with PTO
|
PPOM/Spouse ENHANCED rate waiving PTO
|
|
1:1
|
23.74
|
24.84
|
25.49
|
26.68
|
|
1:2
|
35.70
|
37.36
|
38.30
|
40.08
|
|
1:3
|
46.90
|
49.08
|
50.34
|
52.68
|
- Increasing Support Staff wages up to $24.84/hour.
- Increasing Support Staff wages above $24.84/hour requires justification and county approval.
- Adding a new service/item
-
NOTE: Increased wages cannot be backdated.
To use the unallocated funds to increase items and services already approved on the plan, you can request this through email as an “instant addendum”, and your case manager can approve.
Monitor your Expense Summaries carefully to ensure that any changes fall within your total budget amount and that you are not overspending.
Connect with your Case Manager and/or FMS if you have any questions.
|
