HOUSE BILL REPORT

                   HB 2381

              As Reported By House Committee On:

                        Human Services

Title:  An act relating to children with severe medical problems.

Brief Description:  Directing the department of social and health services to contract for the out of home care for children with severe medical problems.

Sponsors:  Representatives Leonard and King.

Brief History:

     Reported by House Committee on:

Human Services, January 27, 1994, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Leonard, Chair; Thibaudeau, Vice Chair; Cooke, Ranking Minority Member; Talcott, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Brown; Caver; Karahalios; Lisk; Padden; Patterson; and Wolfe.

Staff:  Dave Knutson (786-7146).

Background:  Children with severe medical problems can often be served in community based facilities which provide quality care at a lower cost than hospital care.  If incentives are not established to transfer children from hospitals to community based facilities in a timely and appropriate fashion, limited public resources may be wasted on expensive and inappropriate hospital care.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Department of Social and Health Services is required to contract with existing community based facilities serving children with severe medical problems prospectively to ensure the availability of beds for children in need.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Only qualified service providers who currently provide these services will be allowed to operate under a prospective contract.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill in passed.

Testimony For:  The Department of Social and Health Services has not shown any interest in addressing this problem administratively.  This legislation will save the state and parents money, and improve services for children with severe medical problems.

Testimony Against:  The Department of Social and Health Services does not need statutory language to address this problem.

Witnesses:  Carol Simkins, Washington Assembly For Citizens with Disabilities (pro); Thelma Struck, Ashley House (pro); Gail McGaffiek, Home Care Association of Washington (pro); Liz Dalton, Department of Social and Health Services (con); and Margaret Casey, Washington State Catholic Conference (pro).