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| SPONSOR: | Jennings | DATE TYPED: | 2-28-01 | HB | |||
| SHORT TITLE: | Clinical Nurse Specialists | SB | 475 | ||||
| ANALYST: | Taylor | ||||||
| Recurring
or Non-Rec |
Fund
Affected | ||||
| FY01 | FY02 | FY01 | FY02 | ||
| NFI | |||||
Duplicates/Relates to Appropriation in The General Appropriation Act None.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Human Services Department
Health Policy Commission
SUMMARY
Senate Bill 475 requires the Human Services Department to recognize clinical nurse specialists as midlevel providers in the Medicaid program.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The fiscal implications for this bill are possibly mixed. The Health Policy Commission notes that program costs could decline as reimbursement requirements for clinical nurse providers may be lower than for physicians in many cases. On the other hand the Human Services Department suggests that costs could actually increase as access to care is increased. The fiscal impact should be negligible in either direction. Generally, Medicaid reimburses for the service. Clinical nurse specialists work under the supervision of doctors, so in the vast majority of cases, persons have access to care.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
The Human Services Department notes that the bill would have an administrative impact. They would have to promulgate new regulations and develop a reimbursement methodology.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
The Human Services Department's comments that cost could go up because of increased access, implies that cost are currently held in check by a lack of access.
BT/njw