Session of 1999
         
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5015
         
By Committee on Health and Human Services (By Request of the
          
Health Care Reform Legislative Oversight Committee)
          
1-29
          
10             A  CONCURRENT  RESOLUTION memorializing the Congress of the
11             United States to rescind provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997
12             related to an interim payment system for medicare home health
13             services.
14      
15             WHEREAS,  The State of Kansas is very concerned about the health
16       and well-being of its senior and disabled citizens; and
17             WHEREAS,  The State of Kansas believes that its senior and disabled
18       citizens should have access to high quality, cost-effective home health
19       care services; and
20             WHEREAS,  Medicare beneficiaries needing the most care are being
21       denied access to home health services as a result of medicare payment
22       reforms; and
23             WHEREAS,  The provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 es-
24       tablishing the interim payment system calling for payment cuts for med-
25       icare home health services will result in a cut back of those necessary
26       services which will lead to increased utilization of more costly settings
27       like emergency rooms, hospitals and nursing homes as well as shifting an
28       enormous financial and time consuming burden to the families of the
29       senior or disabled citizens; and
30             WHEREAS,  The medicare home health cuts will most likely shift serv-
31       ice needs and costs to more expensive state programs, especially long-
32       term care facilities, thus resulting in an unfunded mandate to Kansas and
33       resulting in greater expense to both medicare and medicaid: Now,
34       therefore,
35             Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas,
36       the Senate concurring therein: That the Legislature hereby requests
37       Congress to rescind the provisions of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997
38       related to the interim payment system for medicare home health services;
39       and
40        Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State is hereby directed
41       to send enrolled copies of this resolution to the President and President
42       pro tempore of the Senate of the United States, to the Speaker of the

HCR 5015

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  1       House of Representatives of the United States and to each member of
  2       the Kansas Congressional Delegation.