Committee advances bill to raise Medicaid rates for specialized recreational‑therapy programs such as Camp K

The committee favorably recommended Senate Bill 158 to add certain accredited residential recreational‑therapy programs (for example, Camp K) to services eligible for Medicaid reimbursement at higher rates that better reflect the cost of specialized nursing and 24‑hour care.

Sponsor testimony described Camp K’s long history and intensive services — specialized nursing stations, seizure management, adaptive activities and overnight stays for participants with severe disabilities — and said current Medicaid reimbursement rates (cited in testimony as roughly $12 per hour under existing codes) do not cover the program’s true costs. A prior DHHS‑commissioned rate study recommended a higher rate, the sponsor said.

Committee members asked about overlap with DSPD services and prior appropriations (a recurring $500,000 request and a one‑time capital request were mentioned in related appropriations committee discussion). The sponsor said the bill is intended to create a sustainable Medicaid rate structure so the program need not return annually for appropriations.

After brief discussion and no public opposition at the hearing, the committee passed the bill by voice vote (8–2 recorded), sending it to the floor.