A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE DEPARTMENT OF hEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO contract with a third party to STUDY WHETHER AN INSTITUTIONAL BIAS EXISTS IN THE STATE'S MEDICAID PROGRAM, as recommended by the north carolina study commission on aging.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall contract with an independent third party to study whether the State's Medicaid program has a bias that favors support for individuals in institutional settings over support for individuals living at home and if a bias is found, to determine and recommend ways to alleviate the bias.  The independent third party with whom the Department shall contract shall have documented experience in conducting similar studies.  The study shall include consideration of all in‑home services paid under the State's Medicaid program, including CAP/DA, home health, and personal care services.  The Department shall report the results of the study to the North Carolina Study Commission on Aging by January 2005.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health and Human Services the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2004‑2005 fiscal year to fund the study in this act.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2004.