Full Text of HR0360 098th General Assembly
HR0360 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Illinois' Medicaid program includes coverage for | 3 | | durable medical equipment; and
| 4 | | WHEREAS, Durable medical equipment covered under Illinois' | 5 | | Medicaid program includes augmentative and alternative | 6 | | communication devices; and
| 7 | | WHEREAS, Augmentative and alternative communication | 8 | | devices are used by children and adults with disabilities with | 9 | | severely limited or no speech due to various disorders, | 10 | | including cerebral palsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, | 11 | | autism, aphasia, verbal apraxia, and stroke; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, An evaluation, diagnosis, and recommendation by a | 13 | | licensed speech and language pathologist, including use of a | 14 | | device on a trial basis and documentation of the results, is | 15 | | required before the acquisition of an augmentative and | 16 | | alternative communication device may be authorized for an | 17 | | individual under Medicaid; and
| 18 | | WHEREAS, A tablet device with appropriate applications is | 19 | | the augmentative and alternative communication device | 20 | | recommended by licensed speech and language pathologists for | 21 | | some individuals with communication disabilities, based upon |
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| 1 | | their individual needs and circumstances following an | 2 | | evaluation; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, A tablet device and applications may be an | 4 | | appropriate and less expensive augmentative and alternative | 5 | | communication device for individuals with disabilities; and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Several other states' Medicaid programs allow for | 7 | | the acquisition of tablet devices and applications for | 8 | | individuals in need of augmentative and alternative | 9 | | communication; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Illinois' Medicaid program does not currently | 11 | | approve the acquisition of tablet devices and applications as | 12 | | augmentative and alternative communication devices; therefore, | 13 | | be it
| 14 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 15 | | NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 16 | | there is created the Augmentative and Alternative | 17 | | Communications Task Force within the Department of Healthcare | 18 | | and Family Services to study whether it would be in the best | 19 | | interests of the State of Illinois and its residents with | 20 | | communications disabilities to include tablet devices with | 21 | | appropriate applications as durable medical equipment covered | 22 | | under the Medicaid program; and be it further
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That the membership of the Task Force shall be | 2 | | appointed by the Director of Healthcare and Family Services, | 3 | | shall not receive compensation for serving on the Task Force, | 4 | | and must include appropriate staff from the Department of | 5 | | Healthcare and Family Services, including at least one licensed | 6 | | speech and language pathologist, other experts in the field of | 7 | | augmentative and alternative communication, and a | 8 | | representative of Illinois' federally-funded assistive | 9 | | technology program; and be it further | 10 | | RESOLVED, That the Department of Healthcare and Family | 11 | | Services shall facilitate and convene the Task Force and | 12 | | provide administrative support to the Task Force; the Task | 13 | | Force shall meet at least three times, the first meeting to be | 14 | | held no later than September 3, 2013, and fully review and | 15 | | assess the potential benefits, including cost savings, of | 16 | | covering tablet devices and applications as durable medical | 17 | | equipment for individuals with communications disabilities, | 18 | | and shall issue a report to the General Assembly and to the | 19 | | Governor of its findings and recommendations not later than | 20 | | March 1, 2014; and be it further | 21 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 22 | | delivered to the Director of Healthcare and Family Services.
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