HOUSE BILL REPORT
SB 6373
As Passed House - Amended:
February 28, 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: By Senators Keiser, Deccio, Zarelli and Spanel.
Brief History:
Health Care: 2/21/06 [DPA].
Floor Activity:
Passed House - Amended: 2/28/06, 97-0.
Brief Summary of Bill (As Amended by House) |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE
Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 15 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, Schual-Berke and Skinner.
Staff: Dave Knutson (786-7146).
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 20 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 (DSHS) 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 70 percent of the daily rate paid. The rate for the eighth through twentieth day is
established by rule but cannot be less than $10 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 Amended Bill:
Removes the expiration date of the current bed hold policy, and deletes a reporting
requirement by DSHS.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: The current boarding home bed hold policy is working and should be continued.
Testimony Against: None.
Persons Testifying: Senator Keiser, prime sponsor; Kathy Marshall, Department of Social and Health Services; Jonathan Eames, Washington Health Care Association; and Julie Peterson, Washington Association of Housing and Services for the Aging.