An Act To Amend MaineCare Reimbursement Related to Bad Debt and Bed-hold Days

Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §1708, sub-§5  is enacted to read:

Sec. 2. Adult family care home reimbursement for bed-hold days. No later than January 1, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services shall amend its rule Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter III, Section 2, Adult Family Care Services to reimburse for up to 30 bed-hold days per calendar year, days a resident is absent from a facility due to hospitalization, visits with family or friends or other appropriate causes determined by the department. The rate of reimbursement must be at least equal to the rate for bed-hold days provided to residential care facilities under the department's rule Chapter 115: Principles of Reimbursement for Residential Care Facilities.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse up to 50% of the MaineCare rate for patient care for a maximum of 6 months to nursing homes for bad debt incurred when a patient is provided care but is determined ineligible for MaineCare and the nursing home has made all reasonable efforts to collect on the debt. The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse adult family care homes for up to 30 bed-hold days per calendar year in the same manner as residential care facilities are reimbursed.