Senate panel advances bill to let health department accept gifts to pilot enhanced nursing‑home payments

The Senate Finance Committee moved SB 191 forward after sponsors said the bill allows the Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPCS) director to accept gifts, grants and donations to pilot enhanced reimbursement for nursing facilities that serve residents with complex behavioral needs.

Senator Frizzell, a prime sponsor, told the committee the measure is designed as a short‑term fix to expand placements for people with behavioral health or cognitive conditions who require higher levels of supervision. "This bill allows the director of HCPCS to receive gifts, grants and donations in order to support development and funding of an enhanced reimbursement model for nursing facilities," Frizzell said.

Witnesses from long‑term care operators described how the current reimbursement structure discourages admitting higher‑acuity residents because it does not reflect higher staffing and clinical costs. Morgan, who identified themself as the nursing home administrator at Uptown Care Center with Vivid Beacon, said facilities are already stabilizing complex patients and that funding would let them scale those services.

Sponsors cited approximately $175,000 in committed donations as seed funding. Committee members pressed for reporting and accountability; one senator suggested a required efficacy report to the legislature. The committee sent SB 191 to the Committee of the Whole with a favorable recommendation.