Committee reviews H.13 to redefine home- and community-based services and require Medicaid rate studies

In a Thursday markup session, a legislative committee considered amendments to H.13 that would redefine "home and community-based services," require the Agency of Human Services to conduct periodic rate studies and set payment rates for Medicaid-funded services, and create a predictable schedule for rate redetermination, members said.

The changes under discussion aim to consolidate several existing statutory references into a single definition focused on services rather than on named provider categories. Jen, legislative counsel, presented a strike‑all amendment that would remove repeated statutory text for designated and specialized service agencies and replace it with a consolidated definition of services delivered in home or community settings. Jen said the draft would point existing DA/SSA statutory provisions to the consolidated process rather than duplicating language.

Monica Ogilby, Medicaid director at the Agency of Human Services, told the committee she was not prepared to answer detailed questions about the state's plan to comply with the federal Medicaid access rule released earlier in 2024. "I'll be honest. I am not…