Contact Governor Inslee to Demand Fair Pay!

CALL TO ACTION

We were just informed by the Governor’s office that Governor Inslee does not intend to support the Adult Family Homes with rate adjustments related to the minimum wage initiative. This is outrageous. The AFH Council is urging all providers to write to the Governor’s office by following This link:

SEND GOVERNOR INSLEE AN EMAIL NOW

Fill out the form with your information and consider using the following talking points/sample language to let them know the critical nature of this rate adjustment to ensure that AFHS can be compliant with these increased demands. The link also includes a phone number and fax option.

Please include a rate adjustment related to the increased minimum wage and paid sick leave requirements for adult family homes in the supplemental budget.

  • The initiative passed by the people included a fiscal statement calling out long term care workers as needing a rate adjustment. This was included in the Governor’s original biennial budget, but not funded.
  • 75% of all AFHs and 60% of all residents in AFHs are dependent on Medicaid as a payer.
  • Current rates are based on wage assumption below the required minimum wage, and by 2019 will only fall farther behind. We cannot wait another budget cycle.
  • Providers will be forced to reduce staffing levels and deny access to the Medicaid resident. This will result in more placements in institutional expensive setting such as skilled nursing and hospitals. A five percent reduction in the current AFH Medicaid caseload will cost more than $14 million.

You may also choose to include personal stories about the challenges of finding staffing, the increased demands on your business and any financial estimates about the impact of the increased wages on your business. Time is of the essence so please take action today!

Together we must raise our voices if we want to achieve the results. AS always, please feel free to contact the Council with additional questions.

2 Responses

  1. DEAR GOVENOR INSLEE,

    Please please consider including a rate adjustment related to the increased minimum wage and paid sick leave requirements for adult family homes in the supplemental budget.

    We desperately need this rate adjustment.

    We truly try to continue to take Medicaid residents but finding it harder and harder to make it with all the increased expense.

    We keep trying to figure out if there is another line of work we can switch to after 21 years. But dont
    I feel closing our 3 homes is not the answer.

    We have to pay well above min. wage to keep the staff we have and give vacation/ paid time off holiday and bonuses we can’t even offer insurance like nursing homes.

    Current rates are based on wage assumption below the required minimum wage, and by 2019 will only fall farther behind. We cannot wait another budget cycle.

    Providers will be forced to reduce staffing levels and deny access to the Medicaid resident. This will result in more placements in institutional expensive setting such as skilled nursing and hospitals. A five percent reduction in the current AFH Medicaid caseload will cost more than $14 million.

    Please please consider our rates compared to Nursing Homes and help us stay in business.

    Sincerely,

    Christie Saywers

    1. Hi Christie,

      Thank you for taking the time to write your letter to Governor Inslee. I wanted to double check that you did indeed send this to the Governors office as well? If not, please do so, as he will not see it here on our website. Let us know if you need assistance.

Comments are closed.

×
Loading...
Loading...