Increases cap on personal care assistant services from 40 hours to 91 hours per week for Medicaid beneficiary determined clinically eligible for nursing facility level of care.

This bill increases the weekly cap for personal care assistant (PCA) services under New Jersey Medicaid from 40 to 91 hours for beneficiaries clinically eligible for nursing facility-level care. The Department of Human Services must approve up to 91 hours per week as medically necessary, based on a beneficiary’s written care plan and delivered in their home or other settings under a nurse’s supervision. It requires the department to update its assessment tool for PCA services to reflect this change. The policy directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries needing high-level care who wish to remain in their homes, rather than moving to institutional settings.