130th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 1064 LR 1160(03)
An Act To Advance Palliative Care Utilization in the State
Fiscal Note for Bill as Engrossed with:
C "A" (H-287)
Committee: Health and Human Services
             
Fiscal Note
Potential current biennium cost increase - General Fund
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to provide reimbursement under the MaineCare program for palliative care for the entire interdisciplinary team as appropriate to the plan of care, regardless of setting, including hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient clinics and home care providers.  It also requires the department to adopt rules that support and standardize the delivery of palliative care in the State, including but not limited to strategies for the distribution of public educational documents and the distribution by health care providers of information regarding the availability of palliative care to patients. Mainecare currently covers most of the services that would be included in any bundled rate. However, the amount of a bundled rate cannot be determined without a comprehensive assessment of the various options available in developing an alternative payment model for palliative care.