THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

140

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

  

STATE OF HAWAII

  
   

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

requesting a study to determine whether the state is receiving a proportionate share of Medicare reimbursements.

 

WHEREAS, it has been reported that the State may be missing out on at least $30 million a year in federal Medicare money claims because it is not going after reimbursements aggressively enough; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii has estimated that the State is relying far less on the Medicare program than other states with comparable Medicare-eligible populations; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii stated as an example that in 1998, Hawaii's Medicare expenses for home healthcare and skilled nursing care were $30 million, compared with $63 million for Montana, $87 million for New Hampshire, and $106 million for Idaho; and

WHEREAS, the Legal Aid Society believes that the State could apply for more Medicare money or reimbursements through the Medicare appeals process, since "Nationally, 80 percent of the denials by Medicare are reversed on appeal"; and

WHEREAS, according to the Director of the Connecticut Center for Medicare Advocacy, between 1986 and January 2000, the Connecticut Center for Medicare Advocacy recovered more than $170 million as a result of Medicare appeals; and

WHEREAS, if the State were to aggressively pursue Medicare reimbursements on appeal, the State could receive a larger share of federal Medicare moneys to offset its costs of providing care to elderly citizens who qualify for both state-funded Medicaid and Medicare; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-First Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2002, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB) is requested to study whether the State is receiving its proportionate share of Medicare reimbursements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Services is requested to fully cooperate and comply with any requests made by the LRB in its efforts to complete this study; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the LRB submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2003 Regular Session; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of LRB and the Director of Human Services.

 

 
 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Medicare Reimbursement; LRB Study