North Carolina Wage Increase?
North Carolina may provide a Medicaid spending increase meant to increase caregiver wages. As a nursing home attorney, I have heard this before. Years ago, California raised Medicaid reimbursement rates to increase staffing at nursing homes, instead the money went to management salaries and related entities.
Adam Sholar is the president and CEO of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association. The lobbying group supports the measure because the industry needs to be able to offer more competitive pay to attract and retain employees. A living wage should be mandatory.
However, AARP analyzed federal data and found more than 800 residents and staff members each month continue to die from the virus. More than 10,000 residents and staff members are becoming newly infected each month. Unvaccinated staff represent nearly half of the nursing home and assisting living workforce.