With key deadlines approaching at the Iowa statehouse, advocates are calling on lawmakers to provide better wages for direct service professionals, the health care workers who support people with disabilities in the community. At an average of about $14 an hour, the pay is poor and the work notoriously challenging, which makes it hard for providers to attract and retain workers in the field. Mona Kenyon, CEO of Iowa City-based Systems Unlimited, a health care provider, they are 98% Medicaid funded, so companies like hers are calling on the state for higher reimbursement rates. .
By Jennifer McLelland for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration Our house lost power a few nights ago, during one of 2023’s record-setting storms. For most people, losing power is a minor inconvenience. .
Iowa lawmakers have advanced legislation that would eliminate the income tax for health-care workers who support people with disabilities. Advocates see the measure as an incentive for health-care professionals who might consider entering this field, but are discouraged by the low pay. They have called House File 264 a "trade-off" for the low wages. .
While some Nevada laws such as Senate Bill 68 aim to increase supportive housing for those with behavioral, mental and physical disabilities, others say such proposals simply do not go far enough when it comes to accessible housing. Ace Patrick, board member of the Nevada Statewide Independent Living Council, knows firsthand the struggle of having to look for housing. Patrick said not only does more need to be done to get at the root of the problem which many with disabilities face, but lawmakers need to do better in listening to their disabled constituents who have unique challenges. .