SLS 17RS-3042 ORIGINAL
2017 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 188
BY SENATOR BARROW
MENTAL HEALTH. Requests Louisiana Department of Health to study and determine the
desirability and feasibility of implementing the health home option in the medical assistance
program.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to study and determine the
3 desirability and feasibility of implementing the health home option in the medical
4 assistance program, known commonly as Medicaid.
5 WHEREAS, the mental health and well-being of the residents of Louisiana is a vital
6 issue that affects not only quality of life, but also the health of communities, families, and
7 economic stability; and
8 WHEREAS, nearly forty-four million adults in the United States live with mental
9 illness, and twenty percent of children and adolescents have a diagnosable mental health
10 disorder; and
11 WHEREAS, one in twenty-five individuals in the United States has lived with a
12 serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression; and
13 WHEREAS, studies note that individuals with serious mental illness die, on average,
14 twenty-five years earlier than individuals in the general population; and
15 WHEREAS, individuals with mental illness, behavioral health disorders, or
16 co-occurring substance use disorders can recover through treatment that includes
17 psychosocial therapy, clinical treatment, and peer support, alone or in combination with
18 behavioral, psychiatric, psychological, or integrated medical services; and
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SLS 17RS-3042 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, parents, families, and caregivers are allies in recovery and serve as
2 critical members of the care delivery team; and
3 WHEREAS, the Affordable Care Act authorizes health homes as a Medicaid state
4 plan option that provides a comprehensive system of care coordination for Medicaid
5 enrollees with chronic conditions including serious mental illness; and
6 WHEREAS, Medicaid health homes provide states with an important opportunity
7 to integrate physical and behavioral healthcare for beneficiaries with complex care needs by
8 integrating and coordinating all primary, acute, and behavioral health care and long-term
9 services and supports to treat the "whole person" across the individual's lifespan; and
10 WHEREAS, the unintended consequence of untreated mental illness results in a
11 negative financial and social impact on Louisiana including an ever-increasing burden on
12 the criminal justice system; and
13 WHEREAS, the legislature declares that, due to compelling moral and economic
14 reasons, it is in the best interest of Louisiana to study and evaluate the state's current
15 statewide system of healthcare delivery for Medicaid enrollees with serious mental illness.
16 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
17 does hereby urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to study and determine the
18 desirability and feasibility of implementing the health home option in the medical assistance
19 program, known commonly as Medicaid.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall make a thorough evaluation
21 of the feasibility and desirability of implementing a Medicaid health home state plan option
22 to complement the current state medical assistance program and provide comprehensive care
23 coordination for Medicaid beneficiaries with a serious mental illness, including, at a
24 minimum, all of the following services:
25 (1) Comprehensive care management.
26 (2) Care coordination.
27 (3) Health promotion.
28 (4) Comprehensive transitional care and follow-up.
29 (5) Patient and family support.
30 (6) Referral to community and social support services.
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SLS 17RS-3042 ORIGINAL
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall endeavor to create a health
2 home plan that achieves the prudent and efficient use of currently available services without
3 expanding the scope of the covered services under the Louisiana medical assistance
4 program.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall include in its evaluation an
6 assessment of the financial, social, and medical impacts of implementing the health home
7 option in the medical assistance program, including both potential costs and savings and the
8 estimated number of Medicaid enrollees who would qualify for assistance. Further, the
9 department may render objective, fiscally feasible recommendations for the implementation
10 of policies that could be adopted by the state.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department shall submit a report of its
12 findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation if necessary, to the Senate
13 Health and Welfare Committee and the Senate Finance Committee no later than thirty days
14 prior to the convening of the 2018 Regular Session of the legislature.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
16 secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jerry J. Guillot.
DIGEST
SR 188 Original 2017 Regular Session Barrow
Requests the La. Department of Health to study and determine the desirability and feasibility
of implementing the health home option in the medical assistance program. Requires a report
be submitted to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and the Senate Finance
Committee no later than 30 days prior to the 2018 Regular Session.
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