Bill Text: CT HB07020 | 2017 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Requiring The Implementation Of The Recommendations Of The Program Review And Investigations Committee Concerning Long-term Care.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2017-07-05 - Signed by the Governor [HB07020 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2017-HB07020-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 7020
AN ACT REQUIRING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE CONCERNING LONG-TERM CARE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17b-369 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) The Commissioner of Social Services, pursuant to Section 6071 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, shall submit an application to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a Money Follows the Person demonstration project. Such project shall serve not more than five thousand persons and shall be designed to achieve the objectives set forth in Section 6071(a) of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Services available under the demonstration project shall include, but need not be limited to, personal care assistance services. The commissioner may apply for a Medicaid research and demonstration waiver under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act, if such waiver is necessary to implement the demonstration project. The commissioner may, if necessary, modify any existing Medicaid home or community-based waiver if such modification is required to implement the demonstration project.
(b) (1) The Commissioner of Social Services shall submit, in accordance with this subdivision, a copy of any report on the Money Follows the Person demonstration project that the commissioner is required to submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and that pertains to (A) the status of the implementation of the Money Follows the Person demonstration project, (B) the anticipated date that the first eligible person or persons will be transitioned into the community, or (C) information concerning when and how the Department of Social Services will transition additional eligible persons into the community. The commissioner shall submit such copy to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging and human services, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Copies of reports prepared prior to October 1, 2009, shall be submitted by said date and copies of reports prepared thereafter shall be submitted semiannually.
(2) After October 1, 2009, if the commissioner has not prepared any new reports for submission to the Secretary of Health and Human Services for any six-month submission period under subdivision (1) of this subsection, the commissioner shall prepare and submit a written report in accordance with this subdivision to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging and human services, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a. Such report shall include (A) the status of the implementation of the Money Follows the Person demonstration project, (B) the anticipated date that the first eligible person or persons will be transitioned into the community, and (C) information concerning when and how the Department of Social Services will transition additional eligible persons into the community.
(c) The Commissioner of Social Services shall develop a strategic plan, consistent with the long-term care plan established pursuant to section 17b-337, as amended by this act, to rebalance Medicaid long-term care supports and services, including, but not limited to, those supports and services provided in home, community-based settings and institutional settings. The commissioner shall include home, community-based and institutional providers in the development of the strategic plan. In developing the strategic plan the commissioner shall consider topics that include, but are not limited to: (1) Regional trends concerning the state's aging population; (2) trends in the demand for home, community-based and institutional services; (3) gaps in the provision of home and community-based services which prevent community placements; (4) gaps in the provision of institutional care; (5) the quality of care provided by home, community-based and institutional providers; (6) the condition of institutional buildings; (7) the state's regional supply of institutional beds; (8) the current rate structure applicable to home, community-based and institutional services; (9) the methods of implementing adjustments to the bed capacity of individual nursing facilities; and (10) a review of the provisions of subsection (a) of section 17b-354.
(d) The Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available resources, maintain a data collection system, in accordance with the federal reporting requirements pursuant to Section 6071 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, as amended from time to time, to guide the development of the strategic plan for long-term care. In maintaining the data collection system, the commissioner shall, as applicable: (1) Establish a process to identify and report on individuals participating in the Money Follows the Person demonstration project who signed an informed consent agreement to participate; (2) ensure that persons and agencies identifying persons as candidates for the Money Follows the Person demonstration project have access to information regarding plans to transition persons from institutional to community living and options for persons not eligible for the demonstration project; (3) ensure that Money Follows the Person demonstration project participants are counted only once for reporting purposes regardless of how many times they have been referred to the demonstration project; (4) establish a benchmark length of time that Money Follows the Person demonstration project participants may hold a status of "transition in process" before they are placed in a home in the community; and (5) identify steps to reduce the post-transition outcome of premature death for participants with chronic diseases or health conditions, including cardiac, pulmonary and endocrinal conditions or diabetes.
[(d)] (e) The Commissioner of Social Services may contract with nursing facilities, as defined in section 17b-357, and home and community-based providers for the purpose of carrying out the strategic plan. In addition, the commissioner may revise a rate paid to a nursing facility pursuant to section 17b-340 in order to effectuate the strategic plan. The commissioner may fund strategic plan initiatives with federal grant-in-aid resources available to the state pursuant to the Money Follows the Person demonstration project pursuant to Section 6071 of the Deficit Reduction Act, P. L. 109-171, and the State Balancing Incentive Payments Program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, P. L. 111-148.
[(e)] (f) If a nursing facility has reason to know that a resident is likely to become financially eligible for Medicaid benefits within one hundred eighty days, the nursing facility shall notify the resident or the resident's representative and the department. The department may (1) assess any such resident to determine if the resident prefers and is able to live appropriately at home or in some other community-based setting, and (2) develop a care plan and assist the resident in his or her transition to the community.
[(f)] (g) The Commissioner of Public Health, or the commissioner's designee, may waive the requirements of sections 19-13-D8t, 19-13-D6 and 19-13-D105 of the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, if a provider requires such a waiver for purposes of effectuating the strategic plan developed pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and the commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, determines that such waiver will not endanger the health and safety of the provider's residents or clients. The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, may impose conditions on the granting of any waiver which are necessary to ensure the health and safety of the provider's residents or clients. The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, may revoke any waiver granted pursuant to this subsection upon a finding that the health or safety of a resident or client of a provider has been jeopardized.
Sec. 2. Section 17b-337 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) There shall be established a Long-Term Care Planning Committee for the purpose of exchanging information on long-term care issues, coordinating policy development and establishing a long-term care plan for all persons in need of long-term care. Such policy and plan shall provide that individuals with long-term care needs have the option to choose and receive long-term care and support in the least restrictive, appropriate setting. Such plan shall integrate the three components of a long-term care system including home and community-based services, supportive housing arrangements and nursing facilities. Such plan shall include: (1) A vision and mission statement for a long-term care system; (2) the current number of persons receiving services; (3) the current number of persons receiving long-term care supports and services in the community and the number receiving such supports and services in institutions; (4) demographic data concerning such persons by service type; [(4)] (5) the current aggregate cost of such system of services; [(5)] (6) forecasts of future demand for services; [(6)] (7) the type of services available and the amount of funds necessary to meet the demand; [(7)] (8) projected costs for programs associated with such system; [(8)] (9) strategies to promote the partnership for long-term care program; [(9)] (10) resources necessary to accomplish goals for the future; [(10)] (11) funding sources available; and [(11)] (12) the number and types of providers needed to deliver services. The plan shall address how changes in one component of such long-term care system impact other components of such system.
(b) The Long-Term Care Planning Committee shall, within available appropriations, study issues relative to long-term care including, but not limited to, the case-mix system of Medicaid reimbursement, community-based service options, access to long-term care and geriatric psychiatric services. The committee shall evaluate issues relative to long-term care in light of the United States Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L. C. , 119 S. Ct. 2176 (1999), requiring states to place persons with disabilities in community settings rather than in institutions when such placement is appropriate, the transfer to a less restrictive setting is not opposed by such persons and such placement can be reasonably accommodated. The committee, within available appropriations, shall evaluate available data on the average net actual Medicaid expenditures for nursing homes, in comparison to average net actual Medicaid expenditures for home and community-based services waiver participants who require a nursing home level of care, including the number of individuals served, to assist in short-term and long-term Medicaid expenditure forecasting.
(c) The Long-Term Care Planning Committee shall consist of: (1) The chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, public health, elderly services and long-term care; (2) the Commissioner of Social Services, or the commissioner's designee; (3) one member of the Office of Policy and Management appointed by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management; (4) one member from the Department on Aging appointed by the Commissioner on Aging; (5) two members from the Department of Public Health appointed by the Commissioner of Public Health, one of whom is from the Office of Health Care Access division of the department; (6) one member from the Department of Housing appointed by the Commissioner of Housing; (7) one member from the Department of Developmental Services appointed by the Commissioner of Developmental Services; (8) one member from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services appointed by the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services; (9) one member from the Department of Transportation appointed by the Commissioner of Transportation; (10) one member from the Department of Children and Families appointed by the Commissioner of Children and Families; and (11) the executive director of the Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities or the executive director's designee. The committee shall convene no later than ninety days after June 4, 1998. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority. The chairperson shall be elected from among the members of the committee. The committee shall seek the advice and participation of any person, organization or state or federal agency it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.
(d) Not later than January 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, the Long-Term Care Planning Committee shall submit a report to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging and human services on the number of persons receiving (1) long-term care supports and services in the community; and (2) long-term care supports and services in institutions.
[(d)] (e) Not later than January 1, 1999, and every three years thereafter, the Long-Term Care Planning Committee shall submit a long-term care plan pursuant to subsection (a) of this section to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services, public health, elderly services and long-term care, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, and such plan shall serve as a guide for the actions of state agencies in developing and modifying programs that serve persons in need of long-term care.
[(e)] (f) Any state agency, when developing or modifying any program that, in whole or in part, provides assistance or support to persons with long-term care needs, shall, to the maximum extent feasible, include provisions that support care-giving provided by family members and other informal caregivers and promote consumer-directed care.
Sec. 3. Section 17a-303a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) The Department on Aging shall establish, within available appropriations, a fall prevention program. Within such program, the department shall:
(1) Promote and support research to: (A) Improve the identification, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of older adults and others who have a high risk of falling; (B) improve data collection and analysis to identify risk factors for falls and factors that reduce the likelihood of falls; (C) design, implement and evaluate the most effective fall prevention interventions; (D) improve intervention strategies that have been proven effective in reducing falls by tailoring such strategies to specific populations of older adults; (E) maximize the dissemination of proven, effective fall prevention interventions; (F) assess the risk of falls occurring in various settings; (G) identify barriers to the adoption of proven interventions with respect to the prevention of falls among older adults; (H) develop, implement and evaluate the most effective approaches to reducing falls among high-risk older adults living in communities and long-term care and assisted living facilities; and (I) evaluate the effectiveness of community programs designed to prevent falls among older adults;
(2) Establish, in consultation with the Commissioner of Public Health, a professional education program in fall prevention, evaluation and management for physicians, allied health professionals and other health care providers who provide services for the elderly in this state. The Commissioner on Aging may contract for the establishment of such program through (A) a request for proposal process, (B) a competitive grant program, or (C) cooperative agreements with qualified organizations, institutions or consortia of qualified organizations and institutions;
(3) Oversee and support demonstration and research projects to be carried out by organizations, institutions or consortia of organizations and institutions deemed qualified by the Commissioner on Aging. Such demonstration and research projects may be in the following areas:
(A) Targeted fall risk screening and referral programs;
(B) Programs designed for community-dwelling older adults that use fall intervention approaches, including physical activity, medication assessment and reduction of medication when possible, vision enhancement and home-modification strategies;
(C) Programs that target new fall victims who are at a high risk for second falls and that are designed to maximize independence and quality of life for older adults, particularly those older adults with functional limitations; and
(D) Private sector and public-private partnerships to develop technologies to prevent falls among older adults and prevent or reduce injuries when falls occur; and
(4) Award grants to, or enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with, organizations, institutions or consortia of organizations and institutions deemed qualified by the Commissioner on Aging to design, implement and evaluate fall prevention programs using proven intervention strategies in residential and institutional settings.
(b) In awarding any grants or entering into any agreements or contracts after the effective date of this section, the Commissioner on Aging shall determine appropriate data and program outcome measures, including fall prevention program outcome measures, as applicable, that the recipient organization, institution or consortia of organizations and institutions shall collect and report to the commissioner and the frequency of such reports.