- Delaware Health and Social Services

Office of the Secretary - Administration

DHSS FY 2021 Rate Methodology Updates

The FY 2021 Grants-in-Aid Bill included additional requirements for DHSS to continues its progress on rate setting & methodologies.

To meet this, DHSS outlined a path forward to address the recommendations of the Independent Study of Rate Methodologies for Services delivered by the Divisions within DHSS. In September 2020, DHSS contracted with Burns & Association a Division of Health Management Associates (B & A), to continue its rate methodology work. B & A created a roadmap for the DHSS Divisions to implement the recommendations of the roadmap. The "Roadmap" was part of the first recommendation and implementation of the subsequent recommendations will be embedded in that timeline. More information about the Roadmap will be available here.

DHSS is to share the findings of the study and hold an information session regarding these findings. In August 2020, DHSS, in partnership from the Delaware Alliance of Nonprofit Associations (DANA), presented an overview of rate methodologies and the findings from the first study, including the 9 recommendations.

DHSS worked with B&A to develop a roadmap consistent with implementation of recommendation #2 from the Independent Study of Rate Methodologies for Services delivered by the Divisions within DHSS. The final deliverables for this recommendation were shared with the Office of Management & Budget and Controller General's Office in May 2021.

Rate Methodology Roadmap Materials - May 2021

Rate Methodology Webinar - February 2021

Final Presentation on DHSS Rate Roadmap

Summary Research on Other State Rate
Methodologies for
Services Subject to Rate Rebase

Questionnaires Completed
for Services
Subject to Rate Rebase

Memo to OMB & CGO - May 2021

Rate Methodology Webinar - May 2021

The Rate Methodology work is intended to provide transparent and consistent information across divisions and services for how those rates are set and the process to update them. Changes to the rates paid will continue to be subject to available funding.

Child Care Rate Studies

The FY 2021 epilogue requires the Division of Social Services to perform the 2021 Child Care Market Rate Study, ensure that all providers are contacts for a response and develop a Cost of Care study. DSS has engaged a consulted and is working with the provider community to complete this work. The results of this study will be available in February 2021. Currently, DSS is using the rate at 65% of the 75th percentile of the rates set by the 2018 Delaware Local Child Care Market Rate Survey.

In addition, so far this year, DHSS has released its 2021 Delaware Local Child Care Mark Rate Survey in line with federal requirements and its first ever Delaware Cost of Care Study and the Preliminary Report was released in April 2021.

Developmental Disabilities Rate Studies

A Cost of Care study for the disabilities community was conducted for the Home and Community Based Services provided by the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services in 2019. DDDS keeps the current information for Provider Reimbursement Methodologies and Rate Studies on their website.

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DHSS FY 2021 Rate Methodology Updates

Rate Methodology Roadmap Materials - May 2021

Child Care Rate Studies

Developmental Disabilities Rate Studies

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