A legal dispute over part of last year's state budget has been settled between industry groups and AHCA. HCAF was initially a plaintiff in the dispute. The budget had the potential to subject Medicaid providers to litigation if they did not pay a $15 minimum wage to direct care workers. The parties filed a joint motion to dismiss the case in Leon County Circuit Court, stating that the new state budget, effective July 1, no longer includes the contested provision. The previous budget had directed funds to adjust reimbursement rates for Medicaid providers to ensure compliance with the $15 minimum wage requirement. However, the motion to dismiss indicates that this provision did not result in any lawsuits, and employees will no longer have legal grounds for wage-related claims after June 30, 2023.

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