Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 101 - MAINECARE BENEFITS MANUAL (FORMERLY MAINE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE MANUAL) › Chapter III - Allowances for Services › Section 144-101-III-67 - Principles of Reimbursement for Nursing Facilities › Subsection 144-101-III-67-31 - INFLATION ADJUSTMENT - Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
The Department will notify the nursing facilities,
						through rule change, of what the COLA will be, for what applicable fiscal
						period, and will specify the COLA in terms of a percentage change.
31.1 The COLA will be two percent (2%)
					 effective October 1, 2011. For each subsequent year, there will be an inflation
					 adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), as described in Principle
					 22.3.3.4 and 22.4.3. For those applicable fiscal periods where a COLA will be
					 made, and the Department has sent forth the above notice, the following will
					 apply:
31.1.1 Total wages, as set forth in
					 Principle 9.5, and benefits, as set forth in Principle 1.4, for "front line
					 employees," as defined in the Definitions subsection of this Principle, be
					 divided by total worked hours to determine the average wage and benefit rate
					 per hour for front line employees for the applicable fiscal period in which a
					 COLA has been made.
31.1.2 This
					 average wage and benefit rate per hour will be compared to the average wage and
					 benefit rate per hour for the fiscal period immediately prior to the period of
					 the COLA in order to determine a percentage change in the average wage and
					 benefit rate per hour.
31.1.3
					 Nursing facilities must demonstrate a percentage change in the average wage and
					 benefit rate per hour for front line employees that is equal to or greater than
					 the COLA as specified in the Department's notice.
31.1.4 If the percentage change in the
					 average wage and benefit rate per hour is less than the COLA as specified
					 within this rule, the Department will recoup, at time of audit, the difference
					 between what the average wage and benefit rate per hour for front line
					 employees was for the applicable fiscal period, and what it should have been if
					 it had exactly matched the COLA as specified within this rule.
31.1.5 The following applies for the COLA
					 effective October 1, 2011: Nursing Facilities must demonstrate, to the
					 satisfaction of the Department, a two percent (2%) increase in the average wage
					 and benefit rate per hour for front line employees for their first fiscal years
					 ending after July 1, 2013, from the average wage and benefit rate per hour for
					 front line employees that was in effect for their fiscal years ending 2008. If
					 the nursing facilities cannot demonstrate that two percent (2%) increase to the
					 satisfaction of the Department, then the Department will recoup, at time of
					 audit, the difference between what the average wage and benefit rate per hour
					 for front line employees for the first fiscal years ending after July 1, 2013,
					 should have been if it had been increased by two percent (2%) from what it
					 was.