Long-term care bill clears Senate

A bill that offers people choices in long-term care easily passed the Senate Thursday, but with only about half the state dollars the original measure called for.Senate File 89, sponsored by the Joint Labor, Health and Social Services Committee, passed the Senate on a 22-6 roll-call vote and now goes to the House.The original bill requested about $7 million in general fund dollars. The bill now allocates about $3.5 million in state money."I would have liked to have had more money, but the Appropriations Committee did a responsible job," said Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, the committee chairman.
He said he expects to be back in the budget session next year to seek increased reimbursement to the people who work in the home- and community-based waiver program for Medicaid recipients.The committee bill included $1.4 million in general fund money for one year and $1.5 million in federal funds for this program.