HARRY HUGHES, Governor                                       2149

Services Cost Review Commission's establishment of rates of
reimbursement for nursing homes; and

WHEREAS, Those actions required to accomplish this
objective, according to the Department of Fiscal Services,
includes, but may not be limited to: (1) providing, the
Health Services Cost Review Commission with sufficient
personnel and financial resources to collect data and to
establish rates for nursing homes; (2) enactment of State
legislation to authorize the Medical Assistance Program, of
the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to reimburse at
the Commission rate; (3) requiring the Secretary of the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to establish the
necessary administrative structure to coordinate the
activities of certification of needs for nursing home beds,
licensure and rate establishment; and (4) requiring, the
Secretary of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to
seek the necessary approval from the federal government for
the aforementioned procedures; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
Governor establish a committee to study the implementation

of the authority of the Health Services Cost Review

Commission to review and regulate nursing home rates in the
same—manner that hospital rates are reviewed and regulated;
and be it further

RESOLVED, That this committee shall have five members:
two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the

Senate, two members of the House of Delegates appointed by

the Speaker of the House, and the Executive Director of the
Health Services Cost Review Commission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That staff and secretarial services be

furnished by the State Department of Fiscal Services: and bo
it further

RESOLVED, That the committee shall make a report and
recommendations to the General Assembly prior to the first
day of the 1980 legislative session; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the

Governor; the Honorable James Clark, Jr., President of the

Senate the Honorable Benjamin L. Cardin, Speaker of the

House of Delegates; the Secretary of the Department of

Health and Mental Hygiene; Alvin M. Powers, Chairman of the

Health Services Health Review—Commission; and Harold A.

Cohen, PhD., Executive Director of the Health Services Cost
Review Commission ways and means by which the statutory
authority of the Health Services Cost Review Commission to
review and approve nursing home rates can be fully
implemented, or that amended language can be included in the
1981 budget to permit the Medical Assistance Program
flexibility in payment rates which will promote access to
nursing homes offering comparable quality of care throughout
the State to recipients of Medical Assistance; and be it
further