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H0254.................................................by HEALTH AND WELFARE
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE - Amends existing law relating to the Medical Assistance
Program to include coverage of assistive and augmentative communication
devices.
02/15 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/16 Rpt prt - to Health/Wel
02/23 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/24 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/26 3rd rdg - PASSED - 63-0-7
AYES -- Alltus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bell, Bieter, Black, Bruneel,
Callister, Campbell, Chase, Clark, Crow, Cuddy, Deal, Denney,
Ellsworth, Field(13), Field(20), Gagner, Geddes, Hadley, Hammond,
Hansen(23), Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones, Judd, Kempton, Kendell,
Kunz, Lake, Limbaugh, Linford, Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague,
Meyer, Montgomery, Mortensen, Moyle, Pischner, Pomeroy, Reynolds,
Ridinger, Ringo, Robison, Sali, Schaefer, Sellman, Smith, Smylie,
Stevenson, Stone, Taylor(Taylor), Tilman, Tippets, Watson, Wheeler,
Williams, Wood, Zimmermann
NAYS -- None
Absent and excused -- Boe, Gould, Hansen(29), Kellogg, Stoicheff,
Trail, Mr Speaker
Floor Sponsor - Sali
Title apvd - to Senate
03/01 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Health/Wel
03/05 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/08 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/10 3rd rdg - PASSED - 29-0-6
AYES--Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Bunderson, Cameron, Crow,
Danielson, Darrington, Davis, Deide, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes,
Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, King, Lee, Richardson, Riggs, Risch,
Schroeder, Sorensen, Stegner, Stennett, Thorne, Wheeler, Whitworth
NAYS--None
Absent and excused--Burtenshaw, McLaughlin, Noh, Parry, Sandy, Twiggs
Floor Sponsor - King
Title apvd - to House
03/11 To enrol
03/12 Rpt enrol - Sp signed
03/15 Pres signed
03/16 To Governor
03/19 Governor signed
Session Law Chapter 132
Effective: 07/01/99
H0254|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO |||| Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session - 1999IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 254 BY HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 RELATING TO MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; AMENDING SECTION 56-209d, IDAHO CODE, 3 TO PROVIDE FOR COVERAGE OF COMMUNICATION DEVICES AND TO MAKE TECHNICAL 4 CORRECTIONS. 5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 6 SECTION 1. That Section 56-209d, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby 7 amended to read as follows: 8 56-209d. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM -- SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED. Notwith- 9 standing any other provision of this chapter, medical assistance shall 10 increase: 11 (1) Payment as determined underregulationsrules 12 established by the director from forty (40) days per fiscal year to 13 unlimited days of inpatient hospital care per state fiscal year. 14 (2) Payment as determined underregulationsrules 15 established by the director from thirty dollars ($30.00) per month to 16 an unlimited amount of prescribed drugs for each recipient. 17 (3) Provision of eligibility for medical assistance for residents of 18 skilled and intermediate care facilities who meet the medical criteria for 19 medical assistance, from those with countable income of two hundred one and 20 two-tenths percent (201.2%) to those with countable income of three hundred 21 percent (300%) of the SSI standard. 22 (4) Payment, as authorized by title XIX of the social security act, as 23 amended, and as determined underregulationsrules 24 established by the director for: 25 (a) Durable medical equipment. 26 (b) Soft organ transplants. 27 (c) Adult dental services. 28 (d) Adult vision services. 29 (e) Adult hearing services. 30 (f) Prosthetics. 31 (g) Assistive and augmentative communication devices.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 09008
This adds assistive and augmentive communication devices as an
element of medical assistance provided through Medicaid. Medicaid
currently pays for these devices for all children and for those
covered by the Home and Community Based Services waiver. This bill
regards the remaining 91 of the Medicaid-eligible population.
The Department of Health and Welfare has not been authorizing
Medicaid payment for these devices, but routinely loses lawsuits
filed for such payments and ultimately pays for the devices
anyway.
It is intended that following passage of this legislation, the
department will promulgate a fairly restrictive rule for such
payments, similar to the rule in place for children and HCBS waiver
clients. It is estimated that less than 25 devices will be funded.
In 1998 only 5 devices were funded.
FISCAL NOTE
Estimated a maximum of $37,500 general fund and $87,500 federal
Medicaid matching funds for 25 devices. Actual numbers will likely
be less. There will also be a savings of legal fees and costs and
wasted staff time.
CONTACT: Rep. William T. Sali
332-1000
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/ FISCAL NOTE Bill No. H 254