Julie VanOrden — Julie VanOrden participates in a committee exchange by allowing the provider to testify, thanking the witness and encouraging continued collaboration to address the issue, then moving to approve Docket 16-0326-2501, Medicaid Plan Benefits, temporary pending rule, and opening the motion for discussion.
Carl Bjerke — Carl Bjerke, acting as vice chair, welcomes everyone to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, notes he will hold an announcement until more people are present, and then begins the meeting by introducing docket 16-0313-2501.
Melissa Wintrow — Melissa Wintrow first clarifies which docket is being discussed and then, when recognized on the motion, asks a question about the repeal-and-replacement rules. She explains that she understands the rules to be substantively the same and says that is why she will vote yes.
Melissa Wintrow — Melissa Wintrow opened by lightening the discussion and saying she had brought candy, then explained that she had reached out to stakeholders about concerns with the rules. She reported that stakeholders felt the negotiated rulemaking process was not as open as it should have been and raised a specific concern about the psychological evaluation requirements, including whether the timelines are realistic given reimbursement rates and the availability of psychologists. She asked the department to work through the issue and see if it could be addressed without delaying the rules. Later, after hearing the response, she thanked the chair and Mr. Larson and asked to allow a little testimony so the committee could better understand the concern.
Mark Harris — Senator Mark Harris is recognized as present in committee and then identified as making the motion to adopt the docket.
Mark Harris — Mark Harris is identified as the second to Senator Van Orden’s motion to adopt both the temporary and pending rule.
Camille Blaylock — Identified as seconding the motion.
Brandon Shippy — Brandon Shippy discussed the committee’s review of the rules, asking whether members would have a chance to review them in the interim and suggesting that, given the document’s length and complexity, a more detailed walkthrough may be more practical than a line-by-line review. He also thanked Mr. Larson.
Julie VanOrden — The Chair turns the meeting over to the vice chair to begin taking up the dockets.
Julie VanOrden — Julie VanOrden asked how large the binder was for the Medicaid rule chapter and then commented on how lengthy the document was, asking whether anyone had read through all 200 pages.
Bridger Fly — Bridger Fly, CEO and Administrator of Community Care Incorporated in Meridian, Idaho, was introduced to address the psychological evaluation issue. He explained that evaluations, which used to be completed within 90 days, are now taking four to seven months because psychologists are overwhelmed with requests. These delays slow eligibility processing and prevent providers from receiving payment for services. He added that his organization tries to mitigate the problem by paying psychologists directly for evaluations using Medicaid funds, but the process remains complicated and is a major concern for providers.
Robert Vanda Murwey — Robert Vanda Murwey, Executive Director of the Idaho Health Care Association, said the group wanted to raise concerns not addressed in negotiated rulemaking. He urged the committee not to wait for the next zero-based rule review cycle, noting it only happens every four years, and said some rule changes could be made sooner. He also supported moving some rules into statute, but warned that putting too much into the Medicaid handbook can create unintended consequences because the handbook keeps growing, is harder to change than statute, and is not reviewed annually by the legislature.