News And Updates

Direct Support Professionals bill reintroduced in Congress!


Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Lee Terry (R-NE) reintroduced the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act of 2009, HR 868, on February 4, 2009.  This critical piece of legislation addresses the low wages paid to direct support professionals. 

The legislation would:
  • Amend title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to provide funds to states to enable them to increase the wages paid to targeted direct support professionals in providing services to individuals with disabilities under the Medicaid program.
  • Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, to audit a sample from among the states in order to assess the effectiveness of progress made in reducing or eliminating the wage gap between targeted and reference direct support professionals through funds under this Act.
  • Require the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the wage equalization and recruitment and retention of direct support professionals who are providing services and supports to individuals with disabilities.
You can learn more about the differential in salaries paid to direct support professionals who work for a state-run facility versus one who works for a private provider by reading the 2008 Wage Survey prepared for ANCOR by the Mosaic Collaborative for Disabilities Public Policy and Practice.


ANCOR releases 2008 Wage Study

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On February 17, ANCOR released the results of a national survey that clearly illustrates the growing need for increased federal funding for low-wage workers who provide supports to people with disabilities. The 2008 Direct Support Professionals Wage Study, which was conducted in partnership between ANCOR and the Mosaic Collaborative for Disabilities Public Policy and Practice, imparts a sobering view of a national healthcare workforce in crisis.
 
Analysis of survey results compared wages among DSPs employed by private providers with those who work for state-run programs.
 
A key finding of the report shows the national average starting wage for private provider DSPs in community programs is $8.53 per hour, compared to the average starting wage of $12.13 for state-employed DSPs. This represents a 42 percent difference.  Annualized, the average entry wage for a private provider DSP falls just short of the federal poverty level - the private DSP entry wage is $17,744 compared to the federal baseline (for a family of three) at $17,600.
 
"The wage disparity among private and public DSPs is startling," said Renee Pietrangelo, CEO of ANCOR. "As demand for the supports provided by DSPs grows exponentially, low wages will prevent private providers from attracting and retaining a qualified workforce."
 
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 49 percent increase in the number of direct care positions that will be needed between 2006 and 2016. This problem is compounded by the fact that the workforce is almost entirely funded by the Medicaid program.
 
 "Without an increase in Medicaid funding from the federal government to the states, wages for DSPs working in the community will continue to stagnate," said Peter Kowalski, president of ANCOR. "Coupled with the growing number of Americans who are projected to need the critical supports provided by DSPs, we are witnessing a healthcare crisis of significant proportion."
 
Earlier this month, legislation was introduced in the 111th Congress addressing the workforce wage issue. Our legislative champions, Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) and Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), have sponsored H.R. 868, a bill to amend the Social Security Act to provide funds to states to enable them to increase the wages paid to targeted direct support professionals who are providing services to individuals with disabilities under Medicaid. There is no federal mandate for participation, but states that choose to participate will realize pay parity between private and public direct support professionals. 
 

VP Biden visits Special Olympics Winter World Games

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Cristian Ispas from Motivation Romania meets Vice President Biden
When Cristian Ispas took his team from Special Olympics Romania to Idaho for the World Games in February, he had the opportunity to meet Vice President Joe Biden.  Vice President Biden welcomed the athletes and noted that, "The Commitment that the President and I have to Special Olympics and people with disabilities is deep and abiding.  And we are backing up those words with real action at the White House.  This is our first step to ensure that we have a strong advocate for people with disabilities at the highest levels of our administration."

Read the entire story about Vice President Biden's visit to the  World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho on the Special Olympics website.

2008 Wage Study

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Special Olympics

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Vice President visits Special Olympics