Call to Order and Roll Call
The 1st meeting of the Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue was held on<Day> Thursday, September 28, 2017, at 10:00 AM, in Room 149 of the Capitol Annex. Senator Ralph Alvarado, Chair, called the meeting to order, and the secretary called the roll.
Present were:
Members: Senator Ralph Alvarado, Co-Chair; Representative Russell Webber, Co-Chair; Senators Denise Harper Angel, Morgan McGarvey, and Stephen Meredith; Representatives Larry Brown, Donna Mayfield, Chad McCoy, and Addia Wuchner.
Guests: Dennis May, Chief Executive Officer, Hopebridge, Indianapolis, IN; Wendy Morris, Commissioner, Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (BHDID), Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS); Stephanie Craycraft, Division Director, BHDID, CHFS; Dr. Allen J. Brenzel, MD, MBA, Medical Director, BHDID, CHFS; Roger Westfall, Executive Director, Western State Hospital; Nina Eisner, Chief Executive Officer, The Ridge Behavioral Health Systems; Tim Feeley, Deputy Secretary, CHFS; Nancy Galvagni, Senior Vice President, Kentucky Hospital Association; and Shannon McCracken, Executive Director, Kentucky Association of Private Providers
LRC Staff: Miriam Fordham and Ben Thompson.
Pediatric Therapy Services for Autism - Indiana Experience
Mr. May provided an overview of Hopebridge and the services they offer to children on the autism spectrum.
In response to a question from Senator Meredith, Mr. May stated that Hopebridge measures success on an individual basis due to the differences between cases when it comes to an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Hopebridge provides a report on a child's progress to Medicaid and insurance providers every six months. Due to the differences in the amount of reimbursable hours between the states in which Hopebridge operates, it is forced to look at a part-time labor model for Kentucky, as opposed to the full time labor model utilized in Indiana and Ohio.
In response to questions from Chair Alvarado, Mr. May said that with the introduction of the Healthy Indiana Insurance Plan, providers saw an increase in reimbursements for treatment.
Overview of Mental Health Treatment and Costs
Commissioner Morris provided an overview of the cost to the state for mental health treatment. Ms. Eisner spoke on the issues providers have concerning Medicaid reimbursement for mental health treatment.
In response to a question from Senator Harper Angel, Commissioner Morris stated that BHDID was legally obligated to help transition residents from the Oakwood Residential Facility.
In response to questions from Chair Alvarado, Commissioner Morris said that mental health treatment center readmission rates are higher in Kentucky than the national average. Commissioner Morris confirmed that the cabinet had not moved to implement SB 91 from the 2017 Regular Session due to there being no funding component. The cabinet's estimated cost to implement SB 91 is $1 million per region.
Community Alternatives for Supported Living
Ms. McCracken gave an overview of the work by the Kentucky Association of Private Providers concerning community assisted living.
There being no further business before the subcommittee, the meeting was adjourned at 11:51 AM.