A new rule that will give home care workers basic labor protections is supposed to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. But several states are pushing for delay, saying they need more time to work through how the rule will affect their Medicaid programs, which pay many home care bills.

The states have had enough time. The Obama administration, however, appears to be seriously considering a delay of the rule, which should have been put in place long ago.

Home care workers have not been covered by minimum wage or overtime laws since 1974, when labor regulations wrongly labeled such workers “companions” rather than employees. Since then, some states have balanced Medicaid budgets by underpaying home care workers — most of whom are female, black or Hispanic, and immigrants. Many for-profit agencies that employ the home care workers pocket most of the Medicaid reimbursements, instead of paying decent wages.

In 2011, President Obama instructed the Labor Department to rewrite the regulations so that home care workers would be guaranteed the minimum wage and time and half for overtime. When the new rule was finished in 2013, states were given 15 months to comply. Nevertheless, officials from Arizona, Kansas, Oregon and Tennessee have signed letters asking for a delay. In June, the Labor Department sensibly responded to such pressure by instructing states on how to meet the compliance date.