HB 1846 is a step backward. In fact, as Yogi Berra once said, “I’m having déjà vu all over again.” HB 1846 takes us back to 2007 when providers conducted the assessments of clients for services. At that time, the in-home industry proposed as it is now that they would do the client assessment, decide how much and what type service the client needed, have their own nurses sign-off on the assessment, and then submit the service authorization to DHSS for final approval.  If DHSS took no action on the assessment within 15 days, the authorization would automatically be approved.

This sets up a process where there are no effective “checks and balances” on the authorization of certain Medicaid services — the provider finds the clients, assesses the client’s need, establishes the care plan including how much of each service is needed, authorizes their own agency to provide the service and then gets paid by Medicaid to both assess the client and to deliver the service.

We opposed this approach then and we oppose it now.

(CLICK HERE FOR A FULL COPY OF THE MA4 TESTIMONY AGAINST HB 1846)