Minnesota’s Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program is one of the most cost-effective Medicaid programs in our state, accessed by nearly 43,000 older adults and people with disabilities statewide. However, low reimbursement rates and inadequate wages create instability for providers and force dedicated PCAs out of the field. Individuals lose their trusted, high-quality support professionals, and many have had to move into more costly institutional settings.
Creating a data-driven rate framework and implementing program integrity measures can help improve the quality of Minnesota’s PCA program and ensure its sustainability for our friends, family members, and neighbors who depend on it.