Bill > LD1540

This bill directs the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council to establish a work group to investigate the unmet needs of children in Maine who require skilled medical care and their families. This work group, which will collaborate with the children and youth with special health care needs program within the Department of Health and Human Services, will determine the number of such children, assess their eligibility for and receipt of services under MaineCare Benefits Manual, identify children on waiting lists, and recommend methods for collecting missing data. It will also identify unmet needs, suggest ways to compensate parents who provide care themselves, explore options like amending existing rules, obtaining federal waivers, or other strategies to meet these children's needs, and develop recommendations to ensure necessary medical assessments are performed. The work group will include representatives from various state agencies, parents of children with complex medical needs, healthcare providers, and the council itself. The council will provide resources and staffing for the work group, which must submit a report with its findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services by January 31, 2026, for legislative review.

Health and Social Services

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1540&snum=132