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May 29, 2012 at 09:23 AM
The Hawaiian Legislature has sent the state’s governor, Neil Abercrombie, two bills that could affect people who need long-term care.
One bill, S.B. 2779, would appropriate $1.4 million to create aging and disability resource centers in each county, to help older adults with disabilities and their caregivers get easier, “one-stop shop” access to information and services.
The other bill, S.B. 2466, would increase funding for Hawaii’s QUESTMedicaid managed program by imposing a “provider fee” of up to 4% on health care items and services provided by private hospitals and large nursing homes, according to the bill text. The QUEST program would use the fee revenue to increase nursing home reimbursement rates for the low-income QUEST plan enrollees who need long-term care.
The bill would exempt many facilities, such as nursing homes with 28 or fewer licensed beds and state-owned nursing homes, from the fee requirement.
Abercrombie has not yet signed S.B. 2779, but he noted that it was part of his own package of legislative proposals in a recent bill signing announcement.
