House File 488 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HF 106)


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to including the maintenance of service animals
  2    as an eligible service reimbursable under the home and
  3    community=based services waivers.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 1491HV 83
  6 pf/nh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  SERVICE ANIMALS == ELIGIBLE SERVICE UNDER
  1  2 MEDICAL ASSISTANCE HOME AND COMMUNITY=BASED SERVICES WAIVERS.
  1  3    1.  The department of human services shall submit an
  1  4 amendment to the centers for Medicare and Medicaid services of
  1  5 the United States department of health and human services to
  1  6 add the maintenance of a service animal as an eligible service
  1  7 reimbursable under the medical assistance home and
  1  8 community=based services waivers.
  1  9    2.  For the purposes of this section:
  1 10    a.  "Maintenance of a service animal" means the provision
  1 11 of ancillary care for a service animal if specifically related
  1 12 to the health and maintenance of the service animal.
  1 13    b.  "Service animal" means an animal professionally trained
  1 14 and certified by a recognized certification entity to assist a
  1 15 person with a disability in meeting specific personal care
  1 16 needs or engaging in daily activities.
  1 17    3.  If the amendment is approved, the department shall
  1 18 adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement this section.
  1 19 The rules shall provide all of the following:
  1 20    a.  Reimbursement of the costs of maintenance of a service
  1 21 animal may be subject to prior authorization.
  1 22    b.  Reimbursement of the costs of maintenance of a service
  1 23 animal shall be limited to no more than five hundred dollars
  1 24 per year for an individual waiver recipient.
  1 25    c.  The process for receiving reimbursement for the
  1 26 maintenance of a service animal.
  1 27                           EXPLANATION
  1 28    This bill directs the department of human services to
  1 29 submit a medical assistance waiver amendment to the centers
  1 30 for Medicare and Medicaid services to add the maintaining of a
  1 31 service animal as an eligible service reimbursable under the
  1 32 medical assistance home and community=based services waivers.
  1 33 If the waiver amendment is approved, the department is
  1 34 directed to adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to implement
  1 35 the provision relating to the reimbursement process and
  2  1 limits.  The bill defines "service animal" and "maintenance of
  2  2 a service animal" for the purposes of the bill.
  2  3 LSB 1491HV 83
  2  4 pf/nh/8