Florida Medicaid Provider Minimum Wage Requirements
On June 2, 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Freedom First budget for State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2022-2023. The Freedom First Budget provided over $600 million in funding to the Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency or AHCA) for the sole purpose of increasing the minimum wage for employees of Medicaid providers to at least $15.00 an hour.
Requirements
- The Agency shall enter into a supplemental wage agreement with each provider to include this minimum wage requirement to ensure compliance. The agreement must require the provider to agree to pay each of its employees at least $15.00 per hour. The agreement shall include an attestation under penalty of perjury under section 837.012, Florida Statutes, stating that every employee of the provider, as of October 1, 2022, will be paid at least $15.00 per hour.
- Beginning January 1, 2023, an employee of a provider receiving an increased rate that is not receiving a wage of at least $15.00 per hour may bring a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction against his or her provider and, upon prevailing, shall recover the full amount of any back wages unlawfully withheld plus the same amount as liquidated damages, and shall be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. In addition, they shall be entitled to such legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate to remedy the violation including, without limitation, reinstatement in employment and/or injunctive relief. Such actions may be brought as a class action pursuant to Rule 1.220 of the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.
- The Agency shall enter into a supplemental wage agreement with all managed care plans to ensure these funds are used to raise the wages of direct care employees under contract with the managed care plan. The managed care plan shall provide attestation to the Agency that they have amended each provider’s contract reimbursement rate to comply with this provision by January 1, 2023.
