Committee advances bill to clarify payment for off-site medical care for state facility patients

House Bill 392, which the Committee on Health Services reported favorably, would clarify existing statutory responsibility for the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disorders to pay for medical and psychiatric services provided to patients of state facilities when those services are delivered at community providers.

"This is what I would call a continuing improvement bill," Representative Mary Anne Proctor told the committee, saying the Department raised the issue about covering services provided outside state psychiatric hospitals and intermediate care facilities when those facilities cannot meet a patient's emergent needs.

Proctor said the bill responds to cases in which a patient housed in a state facility requires emergent medical care at a community hospital and the facility is unable to provide that care on-site. Committee members asked no follow-up questions during the short discussion. After a roll call, the committee chair announced: "House Bill 392 passes with favorable expression. 15 yeses, 0 noes, 1 pass."

The measure was introduced to address administrative clarity between the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental, and Intellectual Disorders and community providers; it does not change the underlying obligation described in current statute, according to Proctor's remarks. The committee recorded the bill as recommended to pass on the House floor.

The committee had no additional discussion recorded on implementation steps or changes to departmental policy. The committee adjourned after completing other agenda items.