House Concurrent Resolution No. by Representative Butler seeks to memorialize the United States Congress and urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to increase pay rates for direct care support workers (DCSWs). DCSWs, including nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal care aides, provide vital services to vulnerable populations such as the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Despite their essential role in ensuring health and well-being, DCSWs are significantly underpaid, with an average hourly wage of approximately nine dollars in Louisiana as of 2020. This low compensation has resulted in high turnover rates, staffing shortages, and compromised care quality, exacerbated by the increasing demand for DCSWs due to an aging population.

The resolution emphasizes that inadequate pay has led to a workforce crisis, making it difficult to retain qualified professionals and increasing the strain on existing caregivers. It calls for federal action to revise reimbursement structures for Medicaid and Medicare, which directly affect DCSW wages. By increasing wages, the resolution argues that workforce retention would improve, care quality would enhance, and economic stability for these essential workers would be achieved. The resolution also mandates that copies be sent to relevant congressional leaders and federal agencies to advocate for this change.