Date: 03/25/2014

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB14-1306

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH CARE & HUMAN SERVICES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 14-1306 to the Committee on ApproPASS



02:26 PM -- HB14-1306

Representative Gerou introduced House Bill 14-1306. The bill requires the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing to make supplemental payments to hospice care providers in FY 2013-14 and FY 2014-15. The department is required to promulgate rules on the amount and distribution of the supplemental payments. She discussed the department's efforts to obtain federal matching funds for a hospice rate increase in Medicaid. She explained that the money for the supplemental payments to hospices has already been included in FY 2014-15 long bill, and discussed the importance of increased funding for hospices. She responded to questions from the committee regarding funding for the payments in the FY 2014-15 long bill and the provisions of HB 14-1306 requiring the adoption of rules to distribute the payments.

02:36 PM -- MaryKathryn Hurd, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, responded to questions from the committee regarding the department's rule making process. Representative Gerou responded to questions from the committee regarding supplemental appropriations for FY 2013-14 and the cost savings associated with end-of-life care.

02:41 PM -- Edie Busam, Colorado Center for Hospice and Palliative Care, testified that there are a number of issues affecting payments for hospice care, and stated that hospices across the state are experiencing significant issues with reduced payments from Medicare and Medicaid. She discussed studies that show cost saving associated with hospice services. She responded to questions from the committee regarding bereavement programs provided by hospices. Representative Gerou responded to questions from the committee regarding the total amount that will be provided to hospices under the bill.

02:52 PM

Ms. Hurd returned to the table to clarify the amount of increased provider payments that was recently approved by the federal government, and how this funding relates to House Bill 14-1306 and an increase in Medicaid provider rates that is included in the FY 2014-15 long bill.

BILL:HB14-1306
TIME: 02:57:21 PM
MOVED:Landgraf
MOTION:Refer House Bill 14-1306 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 13-0.
SECONDED:Young
VOTE
Conti
Yes
Everett
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Joshi
Yes
Landgraf
Yes
McCann
Yes
Schafer
Yes
Singer
Yes
Stephens
Yes
Tyler
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Young
Yes
Primavera
Yes
Final YES: 13 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS