February 11, 2013 Legislative Update

The 4^th week of the legislative session is complete and things are moving at a much faster pace than we have seen in the past. Thank you to everyone who made the trip to Topeka to appear before the House Social Services Budget Committee on Wednesday and Thursday and to everyone who sent messages to their legislators. The hearing on Wednesday was crunched for time and it is unfortunate that those of you who testified that day were asked to reduce your testimony to such a limited time. You did, however, put a face on the issue and we are moving the cause forward and must continue to sound off with our voices. We must continue to communicate with our representatives and senators regarding the need to take action on this issue this year.

There is another opportunity to appear before a committee to testify this week. However, this time it will be before the Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Services. Please contact me if you are interested in sharing your story with this committee. NOTE: If you’re not able to make it to Topeka you can always submit written testimony to the committee. We need to demonstrate the need out there and this is our opportunity to communicate this with the legislature.

Tomorrow, Monday, February 11^th, the Committee will vote on their recommendations that will go in their report to the House Appropriations Committee.

End the Wait Recommendation – Please Read

When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted the State of Kansas approval of the KanCare 1115 demonstration, it did so with a set of Special Terms and Conditions. Below is one of those conditions:

46. Earmarked Cost Savings. The State Medicaid Agency will designate a portion of savings achieved through the implementation of the KanCare 1115 to increase the number of slots in the 1915(c) waivers to move individuals currently on the waiting list to HCBS, subject to state legislature appropriations. The state shall report to CMS on the progress of individuals receiving HCBS services in their annual report pursuant to STC 77. In this report the state must include: the total number of individuals on the waiting list; the number of people that have moved off the waiting list and the reason; the number of people that are new to the waiting list; and the number of people that are on the waiting list, but receiving community-based services through the managed care delivery system.

 

The End the Wait Campaign recommends that the legislature include a multi-year budget proviso that would dedicate a sufficient portion of the cost savings achieved through the implementation of KanCare to create additional slots in HCBS Waivers with waiting lists, including the DD Waiver, which has the longest list with the longest wait time. This would create a special fund solely dedicated to reduction and eventual elimination of the waiting lists. We will be advocating for this policy to be added to the budget for FY2013, FY2014 and FY2015.

THIS COMING WEEK

Monday, February 11, 2013 – House Social Services Budget Committee – 144 – S at 3:30 PM possible recommendations on the FY 2013, FY 2014, and FY 2015.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 – Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Services – 548-S at 3:30 PM will hold a hearing on Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services budget.

Thursday, February 14, 2013 – Senate Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Services – 118 – N at 7:30 AM possible recommendations.