PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Establish Peer Center Reimbursement
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  34-B MRSA §3613  is enacted to read:
§ 3613. Compensation for peer centers
 
1.  Definitions.     As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
 
A.  "Peer center" means an entity or an organization with a contract with the department to provide peer services. "Peer center" may include but is not limited to a recovery club, a support organization or a self-help group.
 
B.  "Peer services" means services by trained peers or a peer-managed organization focused on helping individuals with mental health conditions and other conditions that may co-occur with a mental health condition to support recovery.
 
2.  Compensation; rules.     A peer center must be reimbursed at a rate established by the department pursuant to this subsection. The department may not establish a so-called "flat rate." This subsection applies to all funds, including federal funds, paid by any agency of the State to a peer center. The department shall establish rules concerning reimbursement that:
 
A.  Take into account the costs of providing services in conformity with applicable state and federal laws, rules, regulations and quality and safety standards;
 
B.  Are reasonable and adequate to meet the costs incurred by efficiently and economically operated peer centers; and
 
C.  Contain an annual inflation adjustment that:
 
(1) Recognizes regional variations in labor costs and the rates of increase in labor costs determined pursuant to the principles of reimbursement and establishes at least 4 regions in the State for purposes of annual inflation adjustments; and
 
(2) Uses the applicable regional inflation factor as established by a national economic research organization selected by the department to adjust costs other than labor costs or fixed costs.
 
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish reimbursement rates for peer centers.