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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 81
BY SENATOR THOMPSON AND REPRESENTATI VE MONTOUCET
MEDICAID. Authorizes and directs the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals
to submit a Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver to the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To authorize and direct the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals to submit2
to the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services on or before September 1, 2013,3
a Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver that will allow the use of costs not4
otherwise matchable authority to receive federal matching funds for designated state5
and local health programs and to reinvest freed up state funds into the Medicaid6
program.7
WHEREAS, the current state general budget deficit projected for state Fiscal Year8
2013-2014 is approximately one billion three hundred million dollars; and9
WHEREAS, the largest expenditure of funds in the state budget for the state fiscal10
year is the Medicaid program (Schedule 09-306 of HB 1 of the 2013 Regular Session of the11
Legislature); and12
WHEREAS, the federal medical assistance percentage for the Medicaid program has13
dropped significantly from approximately seventy-two percent to approximately sixty-three14
percent in the upcoming state fiscal year necessitating the infusion of additional state general15
funds to make up for the loss of federal matching funds; and16
WHEREAS, even such a large expenditure of state general funds to the Medicaid17
program budget does not restore the significant budget reductions imposed on Medicaid18 SCR NO. 81
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providers over the past several years; and1
WHEREAS, the huge expenditure of state general funds into the Medicaid program2
adversely affects other state programs, such as higher education; and3
WHEREAS, an alternate means of financing must be developed to ensure the4
continued viability of the Medicaid program; and5
WHEREAS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in the Department of6
Health and Human Services is authorized under federal law to allow for changes in a state's7
Medicaid program that allow the use of non-state public funds in lieu of direct state general8
funds to finance the state's portion of Medicaid program costs; and9
WHEREAS, the means to allow such changes is through a waiver to a state of10
otherwise applicable federal law and regulations under Section 1115 of the Social Security11
Act, otherwise known as a Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver; and12
WHEREAS, other states have been granted Section 1115 waivers that allow the use13
of costs not otherwise matchable to receive federal matching funds for designated state and14
local health programs that are currently funded by state and local governments; and15
WHEREAS, these programs use already existing state and local funds to draw down16
federal matching funds, thereby reducing the amount of state general funds needed to fund17
the Medicaid program; and18
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana seeks to ensure the efficient delivery of the19
highest quality health care for its citizens through the establishment of a delivery system20
incentive program under a Section 1115 waiver; and21
WHEREAS, all hospitals and other health care providers may participate in the22
delivery incentive program, including rural and critical access hospitals.23
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby24
authorize and direct the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals to submit to the25
Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services on or before September 1, 2013, a Section 111526
Medicaid demonstration waiver that will allow the use of costs not otherwise matchable27
authority to receive federal matching funds for designated state and local health programs28
and to reinvest freed up state funds into the Medicaid program.29
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Section 1115 waiver request should preserve30 SCR NO. 81
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current upper payment limit funding.1
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the2
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals.3
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christopher D. Adams.
DIGEST
Thompson SCR No. 81
Authorizes and directs the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals to submit to
the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services on or before September 1, 2013, a Section
1115 Medicaid demonstration waiver that will allow the use of costs not otherwise
matchable authority to receive federal matching funds for designated state and local health
programs and to reinvest freed up state funds into the Medicaid program.