Resolve, To Increase MaineCare Services for Certain Recipients To Allow Them To Remain at Home

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  home and community services for adults with intellectual disabilities or autistic disorder can exceed $100,000 annually; and

Whereas,  support services for adults with intellectual disabilities or autistic disorder are critical to allowing those individuals to remain in their homes for as long as possible and to delaying their entry to residential care facilities; and

Whereas,  increasing support services allows family members living with adults with intellectual disabilities or autistic disorder to maintain employment; and

Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore, be it

Sec. 1. Increasing reimbursement for support services for adults with intellectual disabilities or autistic disorder. Resolved: That, by April 1, 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services shall amend its rules in the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter 101, Chapter II, Section 29: Support Services for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities or Autistic Disorder to increase the combined annual limit for reimbursement for home support, community support, work support-individual or work support-group, assistive technology and career planning to $47,550. The department shall determine the number of hours of specific support services on the basis of the increased combined annual limit. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.

summary

This resolve requires the Department of Health and Human Services to amend its rules in the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter 101, Chapter II, Section 29: Support Services for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities or Autistic Disorder, by April 1, 2015, to increase the combined annual limit for service reimbursement to $47,550 from the current limit of $23,771.