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Regular Session, 2014 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 127
BY SENATOR MORRELL
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to develop a plan for the
creation of a demonstration program to coordinate and integrate the health care for
persons eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.
WHEREAS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) supports the
development of innovative health care payment and service delivery model reforms; and
WHEREAS, CMS has established a Federal Coordinated Health Care Office
(Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office); and
WHEREAS, twenty states are pursuing state demonstration projects to integrate the
care of individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (Medicare-Medicaid dual
eligibles or dual eligibles); and
WHEREAS, the coordination of the delivery of Medicare and Medicaid benefits has
been shown to improve health outcomes and lead to cost benefits for both programs; and
WHEREAS, Medicare Advantage plans have been shown to be effective in
managing and coordinating Medicare services in dual special needs plans (D-SNPs); and
WHEREAS, federal law has created Medicare Advantage fully integrated dual
eligible special needs plans (FIDE-SNPs) that allow a state to contract with special needs
plans to cover all or most of a state's Medicaid benefits; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana recognizes and commends the role of
Medicare managed care plans that have served the highly vulnerable, at-risk Medicare
population in Louisiana, including dual eligibles, over the decades and have maintained
superior quality star ratings for their health plan services; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature of Louisiana directs the department in designing a
program to better coordinate the care of Louisiana's dual eligible population, while not
sacrificing the progress and quality of care already achieved by these existing Medicare
managed care plans.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Health and Hospitals to develop a plan by October 1, SCR NO. 127 ENROLLED
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2014, for the creation of a demonstration program to coordinate and integrate the health care
of Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles with a Medicare managed care plan, as follows:
(1) The department is directed to consider any federal authority deemed most
appropriate to develop this pilot program.
(2) In developing the pilot program, the department shall consider the success of
Medicare managed care plans to provide effective and quality care to Louisianians and shall
not, in developing the plan, sacrifice the progress, quality, and enrollment already achieved
by all Medicare managed care companies presently operating in Louisiana.
(3) In developing the plan for the Medicare-Medicaid pilot program, the department
shall solicit and consider the comments and views of existing Medicare managed care plans.
(4) In developing the plan for the pilot program, the department shall take into
account those regions served by existing Medicare managed care plans with populations that
have a significant percentage of dual eligibles.
(5) In designing programs to better coordinate the care of Louisiana's dual eligible
population, the department shall not impair the right of its citizens to choose and retain
existing Medicare plans, that could result in the disruption of the care continuum, and the
reduction of health care choice and access for the citizens of Louisiana.
(6) The Legislature of Louisiana directs the department to provide dual eligible
individuals the opportunity to choose the demonstration program in lieu of any existing
Medicaid program or any future Medicaid program to be developed by the state of
Louisiana.
(7) No later than October 1, 2014, the secretary of the department shall submit a
written report regarding the plan for developing the demonstration program to the Senate
Committee on Health and Welfare and the House Committee on Health and Welfare,
including but not limited to the following:
(a) The extent to which the department considers any federal authority deemed most
appropriate to develop this demonstration program.
(b) The extent to which the department considers the views and comments of
existing Medicare managed care plans.
(c) Steps taken by the department to ensure a beneficiary affected by the SCR NO. 127 ENROLLED
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department's plans to better coordinate the care of Louisiana's dual eligible population while
maintaining the right to choose and retain existing Medicare health care plans.
(d) Steps taken by the department to ensure that the plan includes those regions of
the state served by existing Medicare managed care plans with populations that have a
significant percentage of dual eligibles.
(e) Steps taken by the department to protect the freedom of choice for a dual eligible
individual.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be included on
the official website of Department of Health and Hospitals.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES