Bill > LD1932

Introduced Session

This bill increases the rate for the labor portion of reimbursement for services provided by essential support workers from 125% of the minimum wage to 140%. This requirement is effective January 1, 2026. The bill requires that essential support workers whose services are reimbursed under the MaineCare program or a state-funded program must be paid no less than 125% of the minimum wage. The bill requires the Maine Health Data Organization, in consultation with the Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee and the Department of Health and Human Services, to develop a methodology for establishing a baseline report in order to be able to examine the care gap in essential support worker services paid by the MaineCare program or a similar state-funded program. The care gap is defined as the difference between approved services and the hours of services actually provided. The bill requires the Department of Administrative and Financial Services to provide a biennial report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters that estimates the actual cost to the State of providing all long-term care services and forecasts costs in the future. The bill changes the membership of the Essential Support Workforce Advisory Committee to include a representative of the long-term care ombudsman program and a representative of an organization that provides personal care services in the home. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to convene a stakeholder group to develop the Innovations in Care and Support Technology Plan to be submitted by October 15, 2026. The purpose of the plan is to advance the use of technology to reduce the number of approved but unstaffed essential support worker hours. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create a stakeholder group to assist the department in developing a 5-year plan to expand the department's worker portability and advancement initiative to establish a standardized curriculum and training program for essential support workers.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Ryan Fecteau (D)*,  Rick Bennett (I),  Kristen Cloutier (D),  Mattie Daughtry (D),  Jill Duson (D),  Drew Gattine (D),  Jennifer Poirier (R),  Holly Stover (D), 

Voted: OTP-AM (on 03/03/2026)

Official Document