Title: An act relating to assisted living facility medicaid minimum occupancy percentage of fifty percent or greater.

Brief Description: Concerning assisted living facility medicaid minimum occupancy of fifty percent or greater.

Sponsors: Representatives Santos, Morrell, Bailey, Cody, Hinkle, Pettigrew, Linville and Schual-Berke.

Brief History:

Health Care: 1/27/06, 1/31/06 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 14 members: Representatives Cody, Chair; Campbell, Vice Chair; Morrell, Vice Chair; Hinkle, Ranking Minority Member; Curtis, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Appleton, Bailey, Clibborn, Condotta, Green, Lantz, Moeller and Schual-Berke.

Staff: Dave Knutson (786-7146).

Background:

The Department of Social and Health Services (Department) pays assisted living facilities a daily rate. The Department also pays a capital add-on rate to facilities that meet construction requirements specified in the Washington Administrative Code and serves a minimum number of Medicaid clients. The formula for determining eligibility for the capital add-on rate is contingent on the total amount budgeted for this purpose and is adjusted twice annually.

Summary of Bill:

The Department of Social and Health Services is required to establish a capital add-on rate for assisted living facilities that have a medicaid minimum occupancy percentage of 50 percent or greater.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: The operating budget for The Cannon House was based on a sufficient capital add-on rate. The high number of Medicaid clients make this add-on rate critical.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Tomiko-Santos, prime sponsor; Jonathan Eames, Washington Health Care Association; and Lynn French, The Cannon House.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.