BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 221
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 1, 2009 

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Kevin De Leon, Chair

                   SB 221 (Walters) - As Amended:  April 21, 2009 

          Policy Committee:                              Health Vote:18-0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill repeals home dialysis agencies from current law  
          authorization regarding chronic dialysis services. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          No direct fiscal impact to delete references to home dialysis  
          agencies from California law and related regulations. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  . This bill is sponsored by the California Dialysis  
            Council to reduce confusion with respect to dialysis services  
            offered by skilled nursing facilities (SNF, nursing homes).   
            The Dialysis Council represents dialysis facilities, patient  
            organizations, renal administrators, nurse managers, medical  
            directors, and companies. Dialysis is a substitute for the  
            normal functioning of the kidneys. It filters waste products  
            from the blood. Dialysis may be used for many years or it can  
            be a short-term treatment for patients awaiting a kidney  
            transplant. 

           2)Background  . California law enacted in the late 1980s  
            established a provision for home dialysis agencies to account  
            for a reimbursement methodology used by Medicare at that time.  
            Later, the reimbursement method was eliminated and the primary  
            provider of dialysis at home services went out of business.  
            This bill eliminates home dialysis provisions that are no  
            longer utilized to reduce provider and payer confusion that  
            may otherwise occur. 

           








                                                                 SB 221
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          Analysis Prepared by  :    Mary Ader / APPR. / (916) 319-2081