SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5529
As of January 12, 2022
Title: An act relating to self-directed care.
Brief Description: Concerning self-directed care.
Sponsors: Senators Cleveland, Keiser, Dhingra and Wilson, C.; by request of Department of Social and Health Services.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Health & Long Term Care: 1/14/22.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Repeals the requirement for medicaid-funded personal aide providers to register with the Department of Social and Health Services.
  • Amends the individual provider's (IP) definition to account for the IPs transition to employees of the Consumer Directed Employer.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH & LONG TERM CARE
Staff: LeighBeth Merrick (786-7445)
Background:

Self-directed care is when an individual with a functional disability hires a personal aide to perform a manual function related to health care that the individual would otherwise perform for themselves if it were not for their disability.  The personal aide may work privately or with medicaid clients through a contract with the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).  Personal aides that serve medicaid clients are individual providers (IPs) and are required to register with DSHS.  There are about 1200 medicaid clients self-directing their care and 47,000 IPs.  Not all IPs provide self-directed care.

 

In 2018, the Legislature passed ESSB 6199 which directed DSHS to implement a Consumer Directed Employer (CDE) program.  Under the CDE, IPs are employed by the CDE rather than contracted with DSHS.   DSHS began transitioning IPs to the CDE in 2021 and expects the CDE program will be fully implemented in 2022.
Summary of Bill:

The reference to IPs in the personal aide definition is updated to account for IPs becoming CDE employees and no longer contracting with DSHS.  The requirement for personal aides to register with DSHS is repealed. 
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 11, 2022.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.