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Agency tells committee home- and community-based services are also under pressure; case management and eligibility affect placements
Summary
Agency testimony said home- and community-based services are experiencing utilization pressure (noted as $2.5M in the BAA overview), and officials described case-management and federal eligibility rules as factors affecting how and when people enter nursing homes.
Committee members pressed the department about a $2.5 million utilization pressure cited for home- and community-based services (HCBS) in the BAA overview.
The department said the $2.5 million reflects utilization pressures in community services when the BAA was drafted and that trends have shifted since the package was prepared. "It's overall utilization and choice for care," the presenter said, adding that home- and community-based services are an essential part of long-term planning and, in many cases, less costly and preferred by recipients.
Lawmakers also discussed barriers that keep some people from accepting nursing-home placements even when medically appropriate: eligibility rules tied to federal grants, distrust of institutional care among some candidates, and the time-intensive nature of intensive case management. The agency described convenings with Area Agency on Aging leadership and case managers to share best practices and said more evaluation and data-sharing will be provided in the formal budget materials.
The session ended with the chair noting the department will return with more detailed budget materials and rate-setting analysis.
