U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) on Jan. 21 introduced legislation that would support patients under Medicaid by clarifying that the provision of home and community-based services is not prohibited in an acute care hospital.
Sen. Portman on Tuesday sponsored the Ensuring Access to Direct Support Professionals Act, S. 3220, to provide Medicaid coverage for services from direct support professionals (DSPs) while a patient whom a DSP is supporting is in the hospital, according to a bill summary provided by his office. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) cosponsored the bipartisan bill.
“Elderly patients and those with disabilities rely heavily on their direct support professionals for care and independence,” Sen. Portman said. “Being in a hospital is distressing on its own, and for these patients, hospitals can be especially confusing and upsetting. By ensuring that Medicaid covers DSP services while a patient is in the hospital, we can ensure our nation’s most vulnerable have the level of comfort and familiarity they need to respond better to treatment.”
Current law restricts Medicaid from paying for DSP services while a patient is hospitalized.
If enacted, S. 3220 would expand Medicaid coverage to DSP services in hospital settings so that Medicaid beneficiaries may continue to receive necessary care, according to the senator’s bill summary.
The measure is supported by the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR), a national, nonprofit trade association representing more than 1,600 private community providers of services to people with disabilities.
“The Ensuring Access to Direct Support Professionals Act has immense potential to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are experiencing hospitalization, while simultaneously investing in the often-overlooked direct support workforce,” said Barbara Merrill, chief executive officer at ANCOR.
S. 3220 has been referred to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee for consideration.