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Committee advances bill to create provisional Medicaid eligibility for nursing‑home applicants; sponsors propose revolving fund
Summary
Senate Bill 131, which would allow nursing homes to obtain provisional Medicaid payments when applicants’ Medicaid determinations have been pending, was advanced from the Senate Health and Human Services Committee after testimony from facility managers and county officials about multi‑month receivables and discharge bottlenecks.
Senate Bill 131, a measure to establish provisional Medicaid eligibility for nursing‑home applicants whose applications are pending, moved out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee with a committee recommendation and was placed on the consent calendar.
Sponsor Senator David Rocheford told the committee that lengthy Medicaid application processing can leave nursing facilities carrying months of unpaid care. He said provisional eligibility after a 90‑day pending period would act as bridge financing to stabilize facility cash flow while final determinations proceed. Under the bill as drafted, provisional eligibility would terminate after 18 months unless the application were resolved earlier; facilities would be required to repay provisional payments if the application were later denied or adjusted. The draft also authorized a revolving fund to provide the provisional payments; sponsors discussed a proposed appropriation as a start‑up sum to capitalize the revolving account.
Supporters included county nursing‑home administrators and the New Hampshire Hospital Association, who said delayed Medicaid determinations are a major cause of discharge bottlenecks and cash‑flow strain in long‑term care facilities. Managers from Salem Haven and other facilities described multi‑month outstanding receivables that threatened operations. The New Hampshire Healthcare Association and the NH Association of Counties also testified in support.
Medicaid officials said the department is willing to work with the sponsor on the mechanics and that a fiscal note had been prepared; department staff indicated they would continue to assist in refining the proposal’s operational details. Committee members asked technical questions about repayment mechanics and safeguards; Charles Powell, who helped draft the bill, said the revolving fund is intended to be replenished when a Medicaid application is approved.
The committee voted to advance the bill and place it on its consent calendar for further floor consideration.
Ending: The committee advanced SB 131 to consent with the expectation that the Finance Committee will review the appropriation and the department will work with sponsors on implementation details.
