Senate committee rejects bill to raise Medicaid rates and require three-year reviews after funding dispute

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee declined to advance House Bill 18 21 on a roll-call vote after an extended hearing and sharp disagreement over whether state Medicaid funds exist to cover the proposed increases.

House Bill 18 21 would have done two main things: provide an 8.8% rate increase for a narrowly defined set of Medicaid services (including early-intervention day treatment, adult developmental day treatment, personal care under the Our Choices waiver, attendant care/respite and some substance-abuse services) and require the Department of Human Services to review reimbursement methodologies for all Medicaid provider types on a regular cycle.

Sponsor representatives and an attorney from the Mitchell Blackstock law firm urged the committee to support the bill. They said previous Medicaid savings and current appropriations would absorb the cost. Robert Wright, who identified himself for the record as an attorney with experience in…