South Central Reporter

The office of Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Il) on June 29 announced it will increase the rate of pay for in-home health care providers to set a minimum rate of $15 per hour.

A total of $54 million from the Governor’s 2021 and 2022 budgets will go to increase the rate of pay with the state’s Department on Aging (IDOA) and Department of Human Services (DHS) issuing bonus payments for eligible care providers for the services they rendered between Jan. 1, 2021 and the end of March, 2021.

The state news and government website Illinois.gov said the move was to make up for a rate increase that had been frozen until April 1.

Providers will receive an additional rate hike on Jan. 1, 2022.

Pritzker said the increase comes at a time when the state suffered the COVID-19 pandemic, the worst health crisis in 100 years.

"One of the best ways we can recognize the workers who support our most vulnerable residents is by ensuring they can support themselves and their families," Pritzker said in the Illinois.gov report. "I'm proud to deliver additional compensation – including retroactive pay for the early months of 2021 – to the providers who bravely did their jobs as physical and mental caretakers during the pandemic. A strong social safety net begets a strong state, and Illinois is investing in the people who make in-home care for our seniors possible."

The report added that by April health care workers in the IDoA’s Community Care Program (CCP) provided care to nearly 70,000 mostly elderly Illinois residents. The rate for such workers had been raised to $23.40 per hour. The bonus payments will be given to 400 workers for the period January through March at the increased rate.

The website report said the increases, including another payout next January, and a minimum wage set at $15 per hour would help stabilize the health care workforce and help older people needing such services stay in their homes and avoid institutionalization.

"The CCP Program supports some of our state's most vulnerable residents,” Paula Basta, director of IDoA said. “While the pandemic has had a lasting economic impact on Illinois and other states across the nation, we thank Governor Pritzker for investing in older Illinoisans, and our Aging Network."  

For information on the CCP program go to www.illinoisgov/aging.