Roundup your family and friends to write a quick note for their representatives before March 16!
HB 649, proposed by Mary Caffero (D-Helena) seeks to ESTABLISH REIMBURSEMENT RATES FOR PROVIDERS COVERED BY THE Guidehouse RATE STUDY.
The Guidehouse study found reimbursement rates paid by the Department of Public Health and Human Services to providers of health care, behavioral health care, developmental disabilities, and senior and long-term care services, including nursing homes fall short of the benchmarks.
The study also specified how the state can improve its provider rates to account for the true costs of operating as a health care provider in this state, acknowledging that the insufficiency of reimbursement rates resulted in the closure of 11 nursing homes.
After much debate, HB 649 was passed on the floor with a 65-35 vote and referred to the House Appropriations Committee. You can watch the floor hearing here.
We would like to give a HUGE shout out to all of the Yellowstone County legislators who voted YES in supporting the various healthcare needs of our local community. Please contact via email, text or phone call the below legislators who voted to support YOU!
We would also like to encourage folks to reach out to the Yellowstone County legislators who voted NO against funding the healthcare needs of our community and strongly encourage those legislators to change their vote to YES on the next vote.
Of critical note, Representatives Mercer, Hastings, and Moore also sit on the appropriations committee and we need their vote to be YES in appropriations to keep this critical legislation moving forward.