_________ Joint Resolution No. _______

Introduced By _______________________________________________________________________________

A Joint Resolution of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the state of Montana requesting an interim study of the elimination of the certificate of need process for home health services and long-term care services, including swing beds and transitional or subacute long-term care; and requiring a report of the findings of the study to the 56th legislature.

WHEREAS, changes occurring in the health care industry, particularly the advent of managed care, could potentially result in the containment of health care costs, regardless of the effect of the certificate of need process; and

WHEREAS, the Montana Health Care Advisory Council reviewed the certificate of need process as a health care cost containment activity; and

WHEREAS, the Health Care Advisory Council has certain misgivings about the public benefit of the certificate of need process as applied to home health services and long-term care services, including swing beds and transitional or subacute long-term care; and

WHEREAS, experience indicates that there is little financial incentive to develop additional, unnecessary home health services and long-term care services, including swing beds and transitional or subacute long-term care; and

WHEREAS, the Health Care Advisory Council recognizes the need to accurately assess impacts from the elimination of the certificate of need process for home health services and long-term care services, including swing beds and transitional or subacute long-term care, because it is unknown how cost of, quality of, and access to these facilities or services would be affected by the elimination of the certificate of need process.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

That an appropriate interim committee be assigned to study the impact on cost of, quality of, and access to home health services and long-term care services, including swing beds and transitional or subacute long-term care, if the certificate of need process is no longer applied to those facilities or services.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the interim committee report the findings of the study to the 56th Legislature and present options for legislative consideration if the committee determines that options are necessary.

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