NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES ON MEDICAID: RATE CHANGES- FACILITIES, HOSPITALS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, & WAIVERS IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES

The Department of Health & Social Services proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 7 of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with cost containment measures to the Medicaid program, including the following:

• 7 AAC 130.260, Day habilitation services – is proposed to be amended to revise the limits on day habilitation services.

   

• 7 AAC 130.270, Supported-employment services – is proposed to be amended to revise the limits on supported-employment services.

   

• 7 AAC 145.012, Cost containment measure for inflation adjustments to Medicaid payment rates - is proposed to be amended to extend the applicable dates through fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 145.050, Resource-based relative value scale rate setting methodology - is proposed to be amended to revise the conversion factor effective July 1, 2017, and not apply the inflation rate for fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 145.265, Targeted case management payment rates - is proposed to be amended to not apply the inflation rate for targeted case management services for fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 145.500, Personal care services payment rates - is proposed to be amended to not apply the inflation rate to the rates established in the Chart of Personal Care Attendant and Waiver Services Rates for fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 145.520, Home and community-based wavier services payment rates - is proposed to be amended to not apply the inflation rate to the rates established in the Chart of Personal Care Attendant and Waiver Services Rates for fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 145.700, Health clinic payment rate – is proposed to be amended to not apply the inflation rate to the health clinic rates for fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 145.720, Health clinic re-basing – is proposed to be amended to not implement rebasing for fiscal year 2018 for a rural health clinic or a federally qualified health center.

   

• 7 AAC 150.150, Adjustment factors – is proposed to be amended to not apply the inflation rate to the non-capital and capital components of the payment rate for fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 150.160, Methodology and criteria for approval or modification of a payment rate – is proposed to be amended to not implement re-basing for prospective payment rates for fiscal year 2018, reduce the per-day inpatient hospital payment rates for all hospitals except those licensed as specialty psych hospitals, the ambulatory surgical center payment rates, and the outpatient general acute care hospital payment rates by 5 percent for fiscal year 2018.

   

• 7 AAC 150.190, Optional payment rate methodology and criteria for small facilities – is proposed to be amended to not apply the inflation rate to the acute care services payment rates and the long-term care payment rates for fiscal year 2018.

You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Kurt West at kurt.west@alaska.gov or at PO Box 110601, Attn. Kurt West, Juneau, AK 99811-0601. The comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 30, 2017.

Oral or written comments also may be submitted at a hearing to be held on May 9, 2017, at the Frontier Building, Conference Room Number 880, 3601 C St., Anchorage, AK 99503.  The hearing will be held from 1:30 p.m.– 3:30 p.m. and might be extended to accommodate those present before 2 p.m. who did not have an opportunity to comment. If you are unable to attend in person, but would like to comment during the oral public hearing, you can call the teleconference number (800) 315-6338 (Toll Free) and use the code 36171#.

You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Kurt West at kurt.west@alaska.gov or at 350 Main St., Suite 425, Juneau, AK 99801. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Health & Social Services will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and response available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System at https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/ and the department website.

If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Kurt West at kurt.west@alaska.gov or at (907) 465-6522 no later than April 28, 2017, to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.

A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System at and/or through the electronic link to the complete text on the Alaska Online Public Notice System at https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/ and by contacting Kurt West at kurt.west@alaska.gov or at (907) 465-6522.

After the public comment period ends, the Department of Health & Social Services will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.

Statutory authority: AS 47.05.010; AS 47.07.020; AS 47.07.030; AS 47.07.036; AS 47.07.040; AS 47.07.070; AS 47.07.071; AS 47.07.073; AS 47.07.074; AS 47.20.060; AS 47.20.070; AS 47.20.110.

Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 47.05.010; AS 47.07.020; AS 47.07.030; AS 47.07.036; AS 47.07.040; AS 47.07.070; AS 47.07.071; AS 47.07.073; AS 47.07.074; AS 47.20.060; AS 47.20.070; AS 47.20.110.

Fiscal information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.