South Carolina General Assembly
109th Session, 1991-1992

Bill 551


Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter


                    Current Status

Introducing Body:               Senate
Bill Number:                    551
Primary Sponsor:                Leatherman
Committee Number:               06
Type of Legislation:            JR
Subject:                        Medicaid nursing home fees
Residing Body:                  Senate
Current Committee:              Finance
Companion Bill Number:          3333
Computer Document Number:       BR1/1152.AC
Introduced Date:                Jan 29, 1991
Last History Body:              Senate
Last History Date:              Jan 29, 1991
Last History Type:              Introduced, read first time,
                                referred to Committee
Scope of Legislation:           Statewide
All Sponsors:                   Leatherman
                                J. Verne
                                Smith
                                Nell
                                W.
                                Smith
                                Peeler
                                Long
                                Macaulay
                                Matthews
Type of Legislation:            Joint Resolution



History


 Bill  Body    Date          Action Description              CMN
 ----  ------  ------------  ------------------------------  ---
 551   Senate  Jan 29, 1991  Introduced, read first time,    06
                             referred to Committee

View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A JOINT RESOLUTION

TO APPROPRIATE EXCESS MEDICAID NURSING HOME FEES TO THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FINANCE COMMISSION FOR MEDICAID NURSING HOME CARE, TO USE INCREASED FEDERAL MEDICAID MATCHING FUNDS FOR UNANTICIPATED MEDICAID EXPENDITURES, AND TO REQUIRE THAT FUNDS GENERATED MUST BE USED FOR MEDICAID SERVICES.

Whereas, the number of persons enrolled in the state's Medicaid program has increased from two hundred fifty-three thousand, thirteen to two hundred seventy-one thousand, one hundred seventy between July, 1990, and January, 1991. While forty percent of this increase is due to more persons qualifying for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), thirty-six percent is due to the increased coverage of pregnant women and children receiving no financial assistance, and another nineteen percent is due to increased coverage of aged or disabled persons receiving no financial assistance; and

Whereas, the number of nursing home patients enrolled in the state's Medicaid program has increased from eight thousand, seven hundred ninety-six to nine thousand, nineteen between July, 1990, and December, 1990. A substantial portion of this increase is due to the repeal of the federal Medicare Catastrophic law and federal changes in the Medicaid program and could not be anticipated in the state's fiscal year 1991 budget; and

Whereas, these changes also caused nursing homes to unintentionally underestimate the amount of Medicaid care they would deliver during fiscal year 1991. As a result, many are at risk of failing to comply with the requirements of the Medicaid nursing home permit law; and

Whereas, the unanticipated increase in Medicaid nursing home patients will result in higher than expected Medicaid expenditures but also will generate higher revenues from the Medicaid nursing home permit program; and

Whereas, the intent of this resolution is to:

(1) provide that the revenues generated from Medicaid nursing home permit programs in excess of the $6.3 million anticipated in the fiscal year 1991 appropriations act will be used to help fund the increase in Medicaid nursing home expenditures;

(2) grant the State Health and Human Services Finance Commission greater flexibility to work with other state agencies to identify means of increasing federal matching funds which could then be used to fund the increase in Medicaid expenditures; and

(3) allow the State Health and Human Services Finance Commission to assure the Department of Health and Environmental Control that sufficient funds are available to cover the increase in Medicaid nursing home patients, thereby granting the department grater flexibility in assisting nursing homes at risk of providing more care than authorized in their fiscal year 1991 nursing home permit. Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. (A) Medicaid nursing home permit fees collected pursuant to Section 44-7-84(D) of the 1976 Code by the Department of Health and Environmental Control in excess of $6.3 million are appropriated to the Health and Human Services Finance Commission to help fund the cost of Medicaid nursing home care.

(B) If the Health and Human Service Finance Commission can increase federal matching funds through changes in reimbursement formulas for other state agencies, the commission, with the permission of those state agencies, may use the increase to cover unanticipated increases in Medicaid expenditures.

(C) All of the funds generated for the Health and Human Services Finance Commission by this resolution must be used to cover the costs of Medicaid services. None of these funds may be used to cover administrative costs.

SECTION 2. This resolution is effective through June 30, 1991.

SECTION 3. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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