AHCCCS Opens Public Comment Period Regarding Caregiver Benefits for Parents

PHOENIX – The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) has opened a public comment period through August 21, 2023 to solicit input on the request for federal approval to extend Medicaid reimbursement to parents who provide caregiver services to their minor children.

AHCCCS will hold two virtual public forums to gather feedback on this proposal at 2:00 p.m., July 18, 2023 and 1:00 p.m., August 2, 2023. See the forum flier and register in advance for either forum using the link on the Parents as Paid Caregivers web page.

Public comments may also be submitted by email to waiverpublicinput@azahcccs.gov or by mail to the address on the Parents as Paid Caregivers web page.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, AHCCCS received temporary federal approval to allow for parents to be reimbursed for providing the “extraordinary care” required of them throughout the course of the pandemic. The agency received a six-month extension past the end of the Public Health Emergency (PHE), extending the program until November 11, 2023.

After listening to member feedback and monitoring industry trends throughout the course of the PHE, this new proposal will seek to:

• Address the shortage of Direct Care Workers and caregivers by allowing payments to parents who serve as paid caregivers for their minor children,
• Increase member satisfaction and promote positive health and well-being outcomes for these children,
• Extend an additional support service to restore, enhance, and maintain family functioning to preserve effective care for the member in the home and community, and
• Ensure that members receive high-quality care while increasing timely accessibility to care providers.

More information about the waiver proposal is posted on the Parents as Paid Caregivers web page.