Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed $215 million in state money, which would draw down another $266 million in federal funds, to raise rates for intellectual disability and autism (ID/A) service providers in his 2024-25 budget plan on Feb. 6, 2024, according to the governor's office.
What the proposal included
The governor's office said the rate money was meant to help provider agencies offer more competitive pay to attract and keep staff. The plan also included $36 million in state funds to help more Pennsylvanians get home and community-based services.
In March, the Department of Human Services described the package as $483 million in state and federal funding for provider rate increases, plus $78 million to serve an additional 1,500 people in the next fiscal year.
Why this mattered for providers and DSPs
Pennsylvania had a long waiting list for ID/A services and a shortage of DSPs. The proposal treated those two problems together: higher rates to hire and keep staff, and new money to move people off the waitlist.
The budget enacted later in 2024 included $354.8 million in state and federal funding, according to the Department of Human Services, with $280 million to help raise DSP wages and $74.8 million to begin clearing the emergency waiting list.