MINUTES
LONG-TERM CARE LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Thursday, Aug. 13, 1998
1 p.m.
Senate Chamber
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Long-Term Care Legislative
Oversight Committee was held on Thursday, Aug. 13, 1998, in
the Senate Chamber at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair
Senator Jane Nelson
Dr. Ken Kramer, Public Member
Representative Elliott Naishtat
Representative Jim McReynolds
Pat Karrh, Public Member
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 1 p.m. There being a
quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The chair laid out the Jan. 21, 1998, minutes and called for
revisions. There being none, Representative Naishtat moved
approval. There being no objection, the motion prevailed by
unanimous consent.
The chair made opening remarks and announced that the purpose
of the meeting was to receive a progress report and briefing
regarding the charges issued to the committee by Lt. Gov. Bob
Bullock.
The chair asked Representative McReynolds to provide a
progress report from the Subcommittee on a Survey Regarding
Nursing Facilities.
The chair asked Representative Naishtat to provide a progress
report from the Subcommittee on the Continuum of Long-Term
Care Services.
The chair called invited panelists to provide committee
members with a briefing regarding the rate reimbursement
system for long-term care facilities.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Senator Bill Ratliff, chair, Texas Senate Finance
Committee, P.O. Box 12068, Austin, Texas 78711.
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human
Services Commission, 4900 North Lamar, Austin, Texas
78751.
David Herndon, board chairman, Texas Department of Human
Services, 515 Congress, Austin, Texas 78701.
Candice Carter, state legislative representative,
American Association of Retired Persons, 98 San Jacinto
Blvd., Suite 750, Austin, Texas 78701.
Beth Ferris, president, Texas Advocates for Nursing Home
Residents, 500 East Anderson Lane, Austin, Texas 78752.
David Lattimer, vice president, Governmental Affairs,
Texas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging,
2205 Hancock Drive, Austin, Texas 78756.
Tom Suehs, executive director, Texas Health Care
Association, 4214 Medical Parkway, Suite 300, Austin,
Texas 78765.
Mike Burris, president and CEO, Arboretum Group, 111
North Park, Victoria, Texas 77903.
The following person registered as a resource witness, but did
not testify:
Steve Lorenzen, director, Rate Analyst, Texas Department
of Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas
78714-9030.
The chair called invited panelists to provide committee
members with a briefing regarding the impact of medicare cuts
on long-term care services.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Don Gilbert, commissioner, Texas Health and Human
Services Commission, 4900 North Lamar, Austin, Texas
78751.
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
The chair called the invited witness to brief committee
members regarding the Texas Department of Human Services'
re-engineering process and enforcement activities after the
implementation of SB 190.
The following person provided oral testimony:
Eric Bost, commissioner, Texas Department of Human
Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78714-9030.
The following person registered as a resource witness and
provided oral testimony:
Jim Lehrman, associate commissioner, Texas Department of
Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas
78714-9030.
The following person registered as a resource witness, but did
not testify:
Steve Svadlenak, associate commissioner, Texas Health and
Human Services Commission, 4900 North Lamar, Austin,
Texas 78751.
The chair called the invited witness to brief committee
members on the creation of a quality measurement system for
long-term care services.
The following person provided oral and written testimony:
Dr. Leslie Cortez, director, Medical Quality Assurance,
Long-Term Care Regulatory Division, Texas Department of
Human Services, 701 West 51st Street, Austin, Texas
78751.
The chair called persons who registered as public witnesses to
provide testimony regarding the charges issued to the
Long-Term Care Legislative Oversight Committee by Lt. Gov.
Bullock.
The following persons provided oral and written testimony:
Lou O'Reilly, founder, Texas Advocates for Nursing Home
Reform, P.O. Box 763143, Dallas, Texas 75376.
Beth Ferris, president, Texas Advocates for Nursing Home
Residents, 500 East Anderson Lane, Austin, Texas 78752.
Marie Wisdom, president, Advocates for Nursing Home
Reform, 16908 South Ridge Lane, Austin, Texas 78734.
The following persons provided oral testimony:
Connie Klostermann,106 North Bacon, Bellville, Texas
77418.
Glenn Currier, secretary, Texas Advocates for Nursing
Home Residents, 528 Sumac Place, DeSoto, Texas 75115.
The chair announced that anyone wishing to submit
recommendations relating to the charges must do so by Aug. 31.
An extended staff working group will develop recommendations
to be considered by committee members for possible inclusion
in the committee's Nov. 15 report to Lt. Gov. Bullock.
With no other business to come before the committee and upon a
motion by Representative Naishtat, the chair recessed the
Long-Term Care Legislative Oversight Committee by unanimous
consent at 3:50 p.m., subject to the call of the chair.
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Senator Judith Zaffirini, Chair
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Scott Caffey, Committee Clerk