Bill > LD1489

This bill requires the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to provide a cost-of-living adjustment for residential care facilities and private nonmedical institution facilities, with the adjustment to be calculated using the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for medical care services or another standardized index. The adjustment will be applied retroactively to January 1, 2025, and will affect all components of the current payment system for these facilities. Additionally, the bill mandates that DHHS conduct a comprehensive rate study to determine new rates for residential care facility services, with the new rates to be implemented no later than January 1, 2026. To minimize financial disruption, the bill includes provisions that protect providers from sudden rate decreases, specifically ensuring that providers will not experience a rate decrease in the first year, no more than a 5% decrease in the second year, and no more than a 10% decrease in the third year of the new rate methodology. The legislation is designed to provide stability and financial predictability for long-term care facilities in the state.

Health and Social Services

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1489&snum=132