SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6373



As Passed Senate, February 13, 2006

Title: An act relating to reporting to the legislature of holding a boarding home medicaid eligible resident's room or unit.

Brief Description: Removing expiration of reporting to the legislature of holding a boarding home medicaid eligible resident's room or unit.

Sponsors: Senators Keiser, Deccio, Zarelli and Spanel.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Health & Long-Term Care: 1/18/06, 1/26/06 [DP].

Passed Senate: 2/13/06, 40-0.


SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG-TERM CARE

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Keiser, Chair; Thibaudeau, Vice Chair; Deccio, Ranking Minority Member; Benson, Brandland, Franklin, Johnson, Kastama, Kline, Parlette and Poulsen.

Staff: Sharon Swanson (786-7447)

Background: Under existing law, boarding homes contracting to provide adult residential care (ARC), enhanced adult residential care (EARC), or assisted living (AL) services must hold a medicaid resident's bed or unit up to twenty days when short term care is needed in a nursing home or hospital, the resident is likely to return to the boarding home, and the Department of Social and Health Services pays the boarding home to hold the bed or unit.

During the first seven days of a resident's absence, the per day bed or unit hold compensation is seventy percent of the daily rate paid. The rate for the eighth through twentieth day is established by rule but cannot be less than ten dollars per day.

The boarding home may seek third party payment to hold a bed or unit from the twenty-first day onward. The third-party payment cannot exceed the medicaid daily rate paid to the facility for the resident.

The current bed hold policy is set to expire on June 30, 2006.

Summary of Bill: Removes the expiration date of the current bed hold policy.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: This issue is not just a financial issue, this effects residents as well. It is important to people who are recovering from an injury or illness to know that they can come home to their own home. It aids in the recovery process. Please do not allow this to expire.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Jonathan Eames, Washington Health Care Assoication; Julie Peterson, Washington Association of Housing and Services for the Aging.

House Amendment(s): Technical amendment to remove language requiring DSHS to submit a report to the Legislature. The report was submitted on or before December 31, 2005.