Medical Assistance program coverage of home health services and durable medical equipment; definition of institution for mental diseases under the Medical Assistance program; and independent living core services (suggested as remedial legislation by the Department of Health Services)

What it does

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Home health services Under current law, the Department of Health Services establishes certain limits on the reimbursement of home health services or products under the Medical Assistance program, including that home health products or services must be provided in the patient's home to be reimbursable. This bill eliminates the requirement that home health services and products be provided in the patient's home to be reimbursable. The Medical Assistance program is a joint state and federal program that provides health services to individuals with limited financial resources.

Institution for mental diseases The bill corrects the cross-reference to the federal definition of “institution for mental diseases” for the purposes of the Medical Assistance program. “Institution for mental diseases” is defined under federal law to mean “a hospital, nursing facility, or other institution of more than 16 beds that is primarily engaged in providing diagnosis, treatment or care of persons with mental diseases, including medical attention, nursing care and related services. Whether an institution is an institution for mental diseases is determined by its overall character as that of a facility established and maintained primarily for the care and treatment of individuals with mental diseases, whether or not it is licensed as such. An institution for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities is not an institution for mental diseases.” Independent living centers Currently, DHS is required to award grants to independent living centers to provide nonresidential services to individuals who have severe disabilities. Among those services that the centers provide are known as independent living core services. Current law defines “independent living core services” as information and referral services, independent living skills training, peer counseling, and individual and systems advocacy. The bill changes the definition of “independent living core services” to align with the federal law definition by adding the following to the list of services under current law: services that facilitate the transition of individuals with significant disabilities from institutions to home and community-based residences with supports and services, services that provide assistance to individuals with significant disabilities who are at risk of entering institutions, and services that facilitate the transition to postsecondary life of youth who have significant disabilities, who were eligible for certain individualized education programs, and who have completed their secondary education.

Who's behind it

Law Revision Committee is its author⁠.