Resolve, To Ensure Access to Speech and Hearing Services
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1142
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: WEBSTER, BRANNIGAN, CAIN, GOODE, PERRY, PETERSON, STRANG BURGESS, BARTLETT, SHERMAN

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Legislative Document 
No. 1142 
H.P.786 
House of Representatives, March 23, 2009 
Resolve, To Ensure Access to Speech and Hearing Services 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
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Presented by Representative WEBSTER of Freeport. 
Cosponsored by Senator BRANNIGAN of Cumberland and 
~lY/~ 11). 7J?t1C~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
'Representatives: CAIN of Orono, GOODE of Bangor, PERRY of Calais, PETERSON of 
Rumford, STRANG BURGESS of Cumberland, Senators: BARTLETT of Cumberland, 
DiAMOND of Cml1berland, SHERMAN of Aroostook. 
Prin!ctl 0/1 recycled papl'r 
Sec. 1. Maximization Of priv~te insurance. Resolved: That the Department· 
of Education shall maximize private insurarice reimbursement to the Child Development 
Services System and the Departmerit of Health and Human Services shall maximize 
private insurance recimbursement· for MalneCare services in order to . minimize 
expenditures in the Child Development Services System and the MaineCare program. 
Expenditures avoided through maximization of the use of private insurance under this. 
section must be used to fund the MaineCare rate increases in section 2; and be it further 
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Sec. 2. Speech and hearing rate increase. Resolved:' That by October 1, 
2009 the Department of Health and Human Services shall increase the rates of 
reimbursement for speech and hearing services provided through speech and hearing 
agencies in the MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapter II, Section 109 and Chapter III, 
Section 109. The new rates of reimbursement must increase the rates set in 1999 by the 
increase since 1999 in the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics 
Consumer Price Index. 
The new reimbursement rates must comply with federal 
Medicaid requirements for billing codes, must result in an increase over reimbursement 
rates paid in 2008 and may not result in decreased reimbursement rates for any speech 
and hearing agency services. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical 
rules as defined by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A; and 
be it further 
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Sec. 3. 
Appropriations and allocations. 
Resolved: 
That the following 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
Preschool Handicapped 0449 
Initiative: Deappropriates fund!? from enhanced private insurance reimbursements to the 
Child Development Services System. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
Preschool Handicapped 0449 
2009-10 
($100;000). 
($100,000) 
2010-11 
($102,700) 
($102,700) 
Initiative: Appropriates funds to increase reimbursement rates for speech and hearing 
services provided through speech and hearing agencies. 
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GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2009-10 
$100,000 
$100,000 
2010-11 
$102,700 
$102,700 
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EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2009-10 
$0 
$0 
2010-11 
$0 
$0 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF ~ORMERL Y DRS) 
Medical Care,.. Payments to Providers 0147 
Initiative: Deappropriates funds by increasing 3rd-party liability colleqtions from 
MaineCare members. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 
All Other 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL 
2009-10 
($100,000) 
($100,000) 
2009-10 
($180,978) 
($180,978) 
2010-11 
($102,700) 
($102,700) 
2010-11 
($185,864) 
($185,864) 
MediCal Care - Payments to Providers 0147 
Initiative: Appropriates funds to increase MaineCarereimbursement rates for speech and 
hearing services provided through speech and hearing agencies. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 
All Other . 
FEDERAL EXPENDITuRES FUND TOTAL 
2009-10 
$100,000 
. $100,000 . 
2009-10 
$180,978 
$180,978 
2010-11 
$102,700 
$102,700 
2010-11 
$185,864 
$185,864 
HEAL TH AND HUMAN SERVICES, 
DEPARTMENT OF (FORMERLY DHS) 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
SECTION TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND 
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
SUMMARY 
2009-10 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2009-10 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2010-11 
$0 
$0 
$0 
2010-11' 
$0 
$0 
$0 
Tills resolve directs the Department of Health and'Human Service~ to increase by ruI'e 
the rates, of reimbursement under the MaineCare program set in 1999 for speech and 
hearing services provided through speech and hearing agencies by the increase since 1999 
in the feder:al Consumer Price Index, The new reimbursement rates must comply with 
federal Medicaid requirements for, billing, codes, must result in an increase, over 
reimbursement rates paid in 2008 and may not result iri decreased reimbursement rates 
for any speech and hearing agency services. The new rule~ ,are designated as routine 
technical rules. The resolve also requires the Department of Education to maximize 
private insurance reimbursement to the Child Development Services System and the 
Department of Health and Human Services to maximize private insurance reimbursement 
for MaineCare services and directs savings to the speech and h,earing agency 
reimbursement increase. 
The resolve includes an appropriations and allocations section that appropriates funds 
to increase reimbursement rates for speech and hearing services and deappropriates funds 
by increasing 3rd-party liability collections from MaineCare members and from enhanced 
private insurance reimbursements to the Child'Development Services System. 
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