1Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2conduct a thorough review of Pennsylvania's Medicaid Home and
3Community Based Waiver Programs in order to determine the
4extent to which family members serve as caregivers in those
5programs and any barriers that exist which preclude family
6caregiving.

7WHEREAS, In Pennsylvania, the Department of Public Welfare
8administers nine Medical Assistance/Medicaid Waivers, including:
9Aging Waiver; AIDS Waiver; Attendant Care/Act 150 Waiver;
10COMMCARE Waiver; Consolidated Waiver for Individuals with
11Intellectual Disabilities; Independence Waiver; Infants,
12Toddlers, and Families Waiver; OBRA Waiver; and Person/Family
13Directed Support Waiver; and

14WHEREAS, Support Services Waivers, a short term for "Medicaid
15Home and Community Based Waivers" provide funding for support
16and services to help individuals to live in their homes and
17communities and offer an array of services and benefits such as
18choice of qualified providers, due process and health and safety

1assurances; and

2WHEREAS, The name "waiver" comes from the fact that the 
3Federal Government "waives" Medical Assistance/Medicaid rules 
4for institutional care in order for Pennsylvania to use the same 
5funds to provide supports and services for people closer to home 
6in their own communities; and

7WHEREAS, Each waiver program has its own unique set of
8eligibility requirements and services and each is designed to
9serve a specific population of individuals with certain specific
10service needs; and

11WHEREAS, Studies have shown that people who have family
12caregivers tend to have fewer hospital admissions, shorter
13hospital stays and informal care by adult children reduces
14Medicare inpatient expenditures of single older adults, as well
15as expenditures for home health and skilled nursing facility
16care; therefore be it

17RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
18Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a thorough
19review of Pennsylvania's nine Medicaid Waiver Programs to
20determine the extent to which family members currently serve as
21caregivers in those programs and to identify any barriers that
22exist which preclude family members of waiver service
23beneficiaries from serving as paid caregivers to their loved
24ones, including whether such barriers are dictated by statute,
25regulation or policy; and be it further

26RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
27make a report with recommendations, as appropriate, and submit
28the report to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to
29members of the Aging and Older Adult Services Committee, the
30Health Committee and the Human Services Committee within six

1months of the adoption of this resolution.