Families worry over the future of Medicaid caregiver payments that were expanded during the pandemic

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June 28th, 2023

Nathan Hill washes his son Brady's hair at their home in Meridian, Idaho, June 19, 2023. Brady survived a rare brain cancer as a baby, but requires round the clock care. Each morning Nate and his wife spend about 3 hours with Brady performing his medical cares and getting him ready for the day. Families of severely disabled children across the country are worried about the future of crucial Medicaid payments they started receiving to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic. (AP Photo/Kyle Green)

Nathan Hill started receiving $12.75 an hour from a state Medicaid program to help care for his severely disabled son during the pandemic, money he said allowed his family to stop using food stamps.

The program was designed to provide a continuation of care and ease a home health worker shortage that grew worse after COVID-19 hit.

But now, with the COVID-19 public health emergency over, he worries that the extra income will disappear. Some states have already stopped payments while others have yet to make them permanent.

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