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Minutes for SB409 - Committee on Ways and Means
Short Title
Making permanent the quality care assessment imposed on skilled nursing care facilities.
Minutes Content for Mon, Feb 24, 2020
Chairperson McGinn opened the hearing on SB 409. David Fye, Legislative Research Department, provided an overview of the bill and distributed a document with information regarding the fiscal impact for FY 2021. (Attachment 4)
Rachel Monger, Leading Age Kansas, testified as a proponent of the bill. The sunset has served its purpose but the priority now is to preserve and stabilize the funding. Leading Age Kansas originally asked for the three-year sunset but the state budget had not improved so they have continued to push the sunset out. The tax has been doing what it was supposed to do and we need it for nursing homes to keep functioning. Ms. Monger responded to questions from Committee members. (Attachment 5)
Linda MowBray, Kansas Health Care Association and Kansas Center for Assisted Living, spoke in support of the bill. She agrees with the need to have this provider assessment as we go forward but feels we need to take the sunset off completely instead of pushing it out three years as it is important for the funding of care providers. Their nursing homes cannot function without this money and this bill would stop the legislature from having to bring this up again and again. Unless there is a complete shift in how nursing homes are funded, they need this money. (Attachment 6)
Mitzi McFatrich, Kansas Advocates for Better Care, testified as a neutral conferee. When the 2010 bill was originally passed it was promoted as a way to improve quality of care for older adults. There is a need to have legislative oversight because, even though the statute required them to meet every year, the panel had gone three years until the last meeting. With no sunset there will be no need to have review. She has a recommended amendment in her testimony to have the sunset continued for 5 years to 2025. Ms. McFatrich responded to questions from Committee members. (Attachment 7)
Written testimony neutral to the bill was submitted by Barbara Hickert, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman. (Attachment 8)
There being no further conferees, Chairperson McGinn closed the hearing on SB 409.
