03/11/1993 03:00 PM House HES

                                                                               
           HOUSE HEALTH, EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICES                         
                       STANDING COMMITTEE                                      
                         March 11, 1993                                        
                            3:00 p.m.                                          
                                                                               
                                                                               
  MEMBERS PRESENT                                                              
                                                                               
  Rep. Cynthia Toohey, Co-Chair                                                
  Rep. Con Bunde, Co-Chair                                                     
  Rep. Gary Davis, Vice Chair                                                  
  Rep. Al Vezey                                                                
  Rep. Pete Kott                                                               
  Rep. Harley Olberg                                                           
  Rep. Bettye Davis                                                            
  Rep. Irene Nicholia                                                          
  Rep. Tom Brice                                                               
                                                                               
  MEMBERS ABSENT                                                               
                                                                               
  None                                                                         
                                                                               
  COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                           
                                                                               
  HB 155:   "An Act relating to audits of health facilities."                  
                                                                               
            PASSED WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS                             
                                                                               
  WITNESS REGISTER                                                             
                                                                               
  ELMER LINDSTROM                                                              
  Special Assistant to the Commissioner                                        
  Department of Health and Social Services                                     
  P.O. Box 110601                                                              
  Juneau, Alaska 99811-0601                                                    
  Phone:  (907) 465-3030                                                       
  Position Statement:  Opposed HB 155                                          
                                                                               
  PREVIOUS ACTION                                                              
                                                                               
  BILL:  HB 155                                                                
  SHORT TITLE: MEDICAID RATE AUDIT PROCEDURES                                  
  BILL VERSION:                                                                
  SPONSOR(S): REPRESENTATIVE(S) G.DAVIS,Brice,Olberg,                          
  Nordlund,Hudson,Sitton,B.Davis                                               
                                                                               
  TITLE: "An Act relating to audits of health facilities."                     
                                                                               
  JRN-DATE    JRN-PG                     ACTION                                
  02/15/93       346    (H)   READ THE FIRST TIME/REFERRAL(S)                  
  02/15/93       346    (H)   HES, FINANCE                                     
  02/17/93       373    (H)   COSPONSOR(S):  HUDSON, SITTON                    
  02/24/93              (H)   HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106                      
  02/24/93              (H)   MINUTE(HES)                                      
  03/02/93       510    (H)   COSPONSOR(S):  B.DAVIS                           
  03/11/93              (H)   HES AT 03:00 PM CAPITOL 106                      
                                                                               
                                                                               
  ACTION NARRATIVE                                                             
                                                                               
  TAPE 93-34, SIDE A                                                           
  Number 000                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. BUNDE called the meeting to order at 3:10 p.m. and                      
  announced he would serve as presiding officer pro tem,                       
  pending the arrival of Rep. Toohey.  He said the meeting was                 
  not teleconferenced.  A roll call showed a quorum was                        
  present.                                                                     
                                                                               
  (Reps. Toohey, B. Davis and Brice arrived at 3:11 p.m.)                      
                                                                               
  REP. TOOHEY assumed the chair from Rep. Bunde and brought                    
  HB 155 to the table for a second public hearing.                             
  HB 155:  MEDICAID RATE AUDIT PROCEDURES                                      
                                                                               
  Number 046                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. G. DAVIS testified as PRIME SPONSOR of HB 155.  He                      
  recalled the committee's lengthy previous consideration of                   
  the bill (on Feb. 24) and said that in the interim there had                 
  been much discussion between himself, the Department of                      
  Health and Social Services, the Alaska State Hospital &                      
  Nursing Home Association (ASHNA), and some additional                        
  research concerning the bill.  He announced that it had been                 
  agreed that he should ask the committee to pass the bill to                  
  the House Finance Committee, where concerns about the bill's                 
  fiscal notes and other concerns would be addressed in a                      
  subcommittee.  He noted a request for some technical                         
  amendments, passed out copies to all members, read them, and                 
  asked for unanimous approval.                                                
                                                                               
  Number 105                                                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIR TOOHEY called for objections to the amendments, and,                   
  hearing none, declared the amendments passed.                                
                                                                               
  REP. G. DAVIS noted the distribution of a letter to Rep.                     
  Toohey from Jay Livey, commissioner of the Department of                     
  Health and Social Services, describing the department's                      
  efforts to bring their audits up to date within a year by                    
  contracting out work.  He said a representative from the                     
  department was present to testify as to the department's                     
  preference and the concurrence of the ASHNA to pass HB 155                   
  to the House Finance Committee, where the substantial fiscal                 
  note could be addressed.                                                     
                                                                               
  Number 132                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. BUNDE moved passage of HB 155 from the committee, and                   
  asked unanimous consent for the passage to be with                           
  individual recommendations.                                                  
                                                                               
  REP. KOTT objected, saying he wanted to hear a                               
  representative of the Department of Health and Social                        
  Services attest as to the department's agreement with the                    
  committee's action.                                                          
                                                                               
  Number 143                                                                   
                                                                               
  ELMER LINDSTROM, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE COMMISSIONER                       
  DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES, testified for the                  
  record that Rep. G. Davis had accurately expressed the                       
  department's position.  He repeated that the department                      
  opposed passage of the bill as drafted, but believed that                    
  its concerns might be better addressed in the Finance                        
  Committee.                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. KOTT withdrew his objection to the motion to pass                       
  HB 155 from committee.                                                       
                                                                               
  CHAIR TOOHEY asked again for objections to the motion to                     
  pass HB 155 from committee, and, hearing none, declared the                  
  bill passed from committee as moved, with individual                         
  recommendations.                                                             
                                                                               
  There being no further business before the committee, CHAIR                  
  TOOHEY ADJOURNED the meeting at 3:17 p.m.