Page 2 - 2018PHAVoterGuide

Candidates for Governor

TOM WOLF (D) (INCUMBENT)

QUESTION: The goal of Medicaid’s Community HealthChoices program is to enable
people to receive care and support in their own homes rather than in a nursing
facility. Yet, it takes about 3-6 months for individuals’ to be determined financially
eligible for Medicaid before they can get in-home care, while a nursing home is
permitted to presume financial eligibility based on a quick review of one’s income
and assets. How do you plan to address this inconsistency that results in more
people going into the most expensive care, a nursing home, even though most
people want to stay in their own home and it is cheaper for the Medicaid program?

I am committed to helping Pennsylvanians receive coordinated
quality health care in the comfort of their own homes and their own
communities, rather than being forced to enter a nursing home, which
can be far more expensive. I launched the Community HealthChoices
program which improves services for hundreds of thousands of
Pennsylvanians, including seniors and those with disabilities. The
program helps seniors age at home and receive quality health care
services there and in their communities. Since I took office, more than
50,000 additional seniors, a 41% increase, are able to age in their homes.

Additionally, far too often the contributions of family caregivers are overlooked. That’s why in 2016,
I signed the CARE Act into law which provides critical assistance for more than 1.6 million family
caregivers across Pennsylvania to help their older loved ones remain at home. This act ensures that they
receive the information that they need to safely care for their loved ones at home. I am also committed to
reviewing the eligibility process and working with stakeholders to see
what can be done to speed up the verification process.

QUESTION: The direct care workforce, comprised of individuals who provide direct care to seniors and adults with
disabilities, continues to be plagued by high turnover. DCWs are also one of the lowest paid professionals in healthcare.
Given the current Medicaid rate, averaging $18.23/hr., what thoughts do you have to increase the number entering this
field?

Direct care workers provide critical services for individuals with disabilities and seniors, and they deserve
to be paid fairly for their hard work. As part of my commitment to protecting Pennsylvania’s workers,
I have fought tirelessly to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage. Workers in Pennsylvania have not
received a raise in nearly a decade, and it’s time for a change.

I have fought for and will continue to fight for a statewide minimum wage increase to $12 an hour, tied
to inflation. By increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $12, we will see an estimated $100 million
in social and human services cost savings. I’ve taken matters into my own hands and signed an executive
order raising the minimum wage for employees under my jurisdiction to $12 an hour. The executive order
included provisions to raise the wage by 50 cents a year until reaching $15 an hour in 2024. I have also
consistently call for the legislature to raise the minimum wage for the rest of Pennsylvania workers as
well. Similarly, I recently announced a change in Pennsylvania’s overtime pay system. Like the minimum
wage, the threshold for qualifying for overtime pay in Pennsylvania had not adjusted in years. Making
2 these important changes will have long term benefits for all of Pennsylvania’s workers, including direct
care professionals, and will encourage more people to enter the field.