On September 5, 2025 Department of Developmental Services issued the following guidance regarding rate reform and the impacts for service providers serving rural communities:
What to Know
This directive gives details about payment changes for service providers. It covers services like respite care, special therapy, early start programs, Supported Living Services, behavior services and infant development. These providers travel long distances to help people who live in rural areas.
What’s Changing
Starting November 1, 2025, the providers listed above who travel more miles than the average assumed in the rate models can receive additional payment to offset their costs. Regional centers will be given a worksheet to help providers calculate miles and applicable payments. The worksheets take the entire monthly billable units and the entire miles driven for the month and compare those numbers to what is included in the rate models. Individual extraordinary mileage for single clients is not looked at separately, but taken into calculation with all billable hours and miles traveled by service discipline.
Learn More
If you want to learn more about rate reform, please visit the Department’s Rate Reform webpage here https://www.dds.ca.gov/rc/vendor-provider/rate-reform/.
RCRC Excessive Travel Payment Requests
RCRC vendors who wish to make a excessive travel payment requests must complete the following steps:
1. Review the DDS Directive related to excessive travel
2. Sign and return the RCRC Excessive Travel Agreement to vendor@redwoodcoastrc.org
3. Vendors will need to submit the following documents monthly to posfiscal@redwoodcoastrc.org after their billing to justify the “Excessive Travel” payment.
Excessive Travel Client Documentation
4. Payments are issued by fiscal and do not require individual pos or additional actions by vendor in the e-billing system.
Excessive travel payments are calculated using the DDS calculator and take the entire monthly billable units and the entire miles driven for the month and compare those numbers to what is included in the rate models. Individual extraordinary mileage for single clients is not looked at separately, but taken into calculation with all billable hours and miles traveled.