ENROLLED
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 73
BY REPRESENTATIVES MILLER AND TURNER
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to develop a professional
consulting nursing service code in the New Opportunities Waiver, Residential
Options Waiver, and Supports Waiver.
WHEREAS, nurses are critical members of the care teams of persons with
intellectual and developmental disabilities who receive home- and community-based
services through the Medicaid waivers programs known as the New Opportunities Waiver
(NOW), Residential Options Waiver (ROW), and Supports Waiver; and
WHEREAS, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities may be
eligible to receive financial assistance from Medicaid to help cover the cost of medical and
nursing care through waiver programs including NOW, ROW, and Supports Waiver; and
WHEREAS, intermediate care facilities for persons with intellectual and
developmental disabilities, known commonly as ICFs, are Medicaid-funded residential
facilities at which children and adults with special needs receive individualized healthcare
and habilitation services; and
WHEREAS, state licensing regulations for disability services providers, including
ICFs and NOW, ROW, and Supports Waiver service providers, require that these providers
employ, contract with, or otherwise ensure access to all necessary professional staff to meet
the needs of each service recipient as identified and addressed in the recipient's
individualized service plan; and
WHEREAS, certain healthcare services may be completed only by a nurse, such as
initial participant assessments, training for new or changed medication tasks, review of
medical forms and charts, and performing complex tasks that cannot be delegated to direct
support workers; and
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WHEREAS, nurses deliver mandatory training and support to direct support
professionals who provide the majority of the recipients' health care; and
WHEREAS, the current reimbursement rates for nursing services in the NOW,
ROW, and Supports Medicaid waiver programs are nonexistent or inadequate to provide
needed coverage to participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and
WHEREAS, NOW, ROW, and Supports waiver programs provide limited or no
reimbursement to healthcare providers for nursing services, and healthcare providers are
struggling to employ nurses, leaving them unable to provide certain services.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to develop a professional consulting
nursing service code in the New Opportunities Waiver, Residential Options Waiver, and
Supports Waiver programs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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