SB42: (New Title) establishing a hospice benefit under the state Medicaid plan.

CHAPTER 166

SB 42 – FINAL VERSION

20May2009… 1357h

2009 SESSION

09-0847

05/03

SENATE BILL 42

AN ACT establishing a hospice benefit under the state Medicaid plan.

SPONSORS: Sen. Gilmour, Dist 12; Sen. Kelly, Dist 10; Sen. Sgambati, Dist 4; Rep. Rosenwald, Hills 22; Rep. Millham, Belk 5; Rep. Schulze, Hills 26; Rep. Harding, Graf 11

COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill directs the department of health and human services to submit an amendment to the state Medicaid plan for the purpose of establishing a Medicaid hospice benefit. The bill includes a rulemaking requirement and requests that the department provide progress reports to the oversight committee on health and human services.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

20May2009… 1357h

09-0847

05/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine

AN ACT establishing a hospice benefit under the state Medicaid plan.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

166:1 New Section; Department of Health and Human Services; Medicaid Hospice Benefit. Amend RSA 126-A by inserting after section 4-d the following new section:

126-A:4-e Medicaid Hospice Benefit.

I. The commissioner of the department of health and human services shall submit a Title XIX Medicaid state plan amendment to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the purpose of establishing a Medicaid hospice benefit. The hospice benefit shall incorporate, to the greatest extent permissible under federal law, hospice provisions pursuant to Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare.

II. The commissioner of the department of health and human services shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to hospice services provided under Medicaid. The rules shall incorporate, to the greatest extent permissible under federal law, hospice provisions pursuant to Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare.

III. Beginning October 1, 2009, the department shall submit quarterly reports to the oversight committee on health and human services, established in RSA 126-A:13, relative to the status of the state plan amendment and implementation of the Medicaid hospice benefit. The department shall make best efforts to implement the benefit on or before July 1, 2010.

166:2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

Approved: July 8, 2009

Effective Date: July 8, 2009