Louisiana parents with special-needs children may get some help in the future with the advent of pediatric day health-care facilities, the state’s health chief said Monday.
The state Department of Health and Hospitals is publishing licensing rules that would allow the new type of health-care provider to operate in the state, state Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine said.
The facilities would serve “medically fragile” children and young adults under age 21. The children may need help with medications, treatment or medical equipment such as ventilators.
The facilities would provide nursing care and therapy while allowing children to socialize with one another and participate in educational programs, he said.
Levine said the pediatric day health-care facilities should be cost-neutral to Medicaid — the government insurance program for the poor and uninsured.
State budget cuts have prompted Medicaid program reductions in many areas.
No new money will be required for the program, Levine said.
He said the facilities will likely be less expensive because services will be delivered in one place. In addition, he said parents won’t have to struggle to set up separate appointments in various locales for health-care services.
“The only way parents get their children one-on-one care today is in their homes and it costs Medicaid and insurers more,” Levine said.
“This way they can drop the child off going to work and the child has all the services they need through the day.”
The state licenses adult day-care facilities, which help families caring for their elderly relatives.
Levine said the pediatric day health-care facilities would also be required to be a part of parish emergency preparedness plans, equipped with generators and other items to care for those they serve.
Levine said such facilities are available in 13 or 14 states.
For-profit and nonprofit groups in other states have expressed interest in expanding into Louisiana, Levine said. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center has also expressed interest, he said.
In Louisiana, the day health-care facilities would have to have a registered nurse on duty at all times and have a medical director as well as employees to meet their mission.
Final rules implementing the program should be complete by year’s end, Levine said.
Berkley Durbin, executive director of the Louisiana Maternal and Child Health Coalition, said the idea of a pediatric day health-care facility is “an interesting concept.”
Durbin said providers would have to be willing to put up the substantial front-end costs involved in opening such a facility.
Then, “Can you imagine the insurance? How are you going to pay for it?,” said Durbin, who served on a panel developing the facility guidelines.