Department of Health Services

The budget bill signed into law by the Governor increased DHS spending by $3.1 billion overall over Fiscal Year 2023-2025. 

Good news – The approved budget includes $2.5 million to expand allied health professional education and training grants.  It also expanded eligibility to registered nurses. 

• Medicaid/Medical Assistance

• o    Nursing Home Support Services:  Provide $73,200,000 in FY2023-24 and $73,200,000 in FY2024-25 to increase the support services portion of Medical Assistance program reimbursement for nursing homes. Require DHS to establish and implement a priced rate for nursing home support services based on median facility costs, plus 25 percent.
• o    Nursing Home Ventilator Dependent Rate:  Provide $5,000,000 in FY2023-24 and $5,000,000 in FY2024-25 to increase the all-encompassing ventilator-dependent resident reimbursement rate for nursing home care. Require DHS to increase the reimbursement rate under the Medical Assistance program for an authorized facility treating a resident of the facility who has received prior authorization for ventilator-dependent care reimbursed under the all-encompassing ventilator dependent resident reimbursement rate by $200 per patient day.

• Elder and Disability Services

• o    Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs):  Provide $2,513,700 in FY2023-24 and $5,027,400 in FY2024-25 in funding increases.
• o    Complex Patient Pilot Program:  Provide $5,000,000 in FY2023-24 on a one-time basis to help facilitate the transfer of complex patients from acute care settings, such as hospitals, to post-acute care facilities, such as nursing homes.

• Public Health

• o    Allied Health Professional Training:  Provide $2,500,000 annually to expand allied health professional education and training grants.  Expand eligibility for the program to include registered nurses.
• ·         Behavioral Health
• o    Telemedicine Crisis Response Pilot Program:  Provide $2,000,000 in FY2023-24 for a telemedicine crisis response pilot program.

Department of Safety and Professional Services

• Occupational Credentialing
• • Software:  $3.57 million for occupational credentialing software and related maintenance.
  • License Processing Staffing:  7 license processing contract workers (on a four-year employment contract).
  • Customer Service Call Center Staffing:  6 license processing-focused customer service call center contract workers (on a two-year employment contract).

• Prescription Drug Monitoring

• o    $1.1 million for software improvements, electronic health records integration, and licensing costs for the state’s electronic Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (ePDMP).