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Committee hears five‑part provider package to speed authorizations, cover housing and property damage
Summary
Representative Jo Curran presented House File 3‑81, a five‑section package from provider groups (ARM) that would alter administrative timelines, provider payment tools and allowable uses of waiver funds to address service‑access and funding problems in the disability waiver system. The committee adopted an A1 amendment and laid the bill over for further work.
Representative Jo Curran presented House File 3‑81, a five‑section package from provider groups (ARM) that would alter administrative timelines, provider payment tools and allowable uses of waiver funds to address service‑access and funding problems in the disability waiver system. The committee adopted an A1 amendment and laid the bill over for further work.
The bill's five main proposals are: (1) require lead agencies to review and process service authorizations within 30 business days; (2) allow an approved rate exception to remain in place if the individual's support team determines removal would harm the person's well‑being; (3) create stakeholder consultation to review forms and processes for rate exception requests; (4) allow a negotiated monthly housing support room‑and‑board add‑on (not to exceed $1,000) for individuals who cannot live with roommates; and (5) direct the commissioner of human services to seek a CMS waiver so Environmental Accessibility Adaptation (EAA) funds may be used to reimburse property damage caused by individuals receiving waiver services.
Why it matters: providers described growing delays in service authorization processing (some reporting many months), cash‑flow impacts when authorizations lag renewals, and unreimbursed property damage that leaves some providers unwilling to serve individuals with frequent damaging behaviors. Sarah Grafstrom, senior director of state and federal policy at ARM, said providers are seeing service authorization timelines of “6 to 8 months past the renewal date” in some cases and that the bill seeks to address that operational backlog.
The housing support add‑on would attempt to close a room‑and‑board gap where the current housing support rate is insufficient for individuals who live alone; the bill sets an upper negotiation cap of $1,000 per month above the standard housing support rate. Grafstrom said the current housing support rate is “$11.70 dollars a month” as stated in testimony; committee members and staff noted apparent rate calculation complexity and requested further fiscal analysis.
On property damage, witnesses described insurance deductibles and program rules that make existing reimbursement impractical; the bill would ask DHS to pursue a CMS waiver to allow EAA funds (which can be up to $40,000 annually for eligible participants) to be used to address property damage costs in some cases.
Representative Kern offered and the committee adopted an A1 amendment that removed language imposing a penalty and reduced costs included in the bill text. Representative Kern moved to lay the bill over and the committee approved the motion.
Votes at a glance: House File 3‑81 (as amended) — A1 amendment adopted (voice vote). Motion to lay over made by Representative Kern; outcome: laid over for possible inclusion.
