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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7073
January Session, 2019
LCO No. 3702
Referred to Committee on AGING
Introduced by:
(AGE)
AN ACT EXPANDING THE CONNECTICUT HOME-CARE PROGRAM
FOR THE ELDERLY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 17b-342 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 2
1, 2019): 3
(i) (1) [On and after July 1, 2015, the] The Commissioner of Social 4
Services shall, within available appropriations, administer a state-5
funded portion of the program for persons (A) who are sixty-five years 6
of age and older; (B) who are inappropriately institutionalized or at 7
risk of inappropriate institutionalization; (C) whose income is less than 8
or equal to the amount allowed under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) 9
of this section; and (D) whose assets, if single, do not exceed [one 10
hundred fifty per cent of the federal minimum community spouse 11
protected amount pursuant to 42 USC 1396r-5(f)(2) or, if married, the 12
couple's assets do not exceed two hundred per cent of said community 13
spouse protected amount] forty thousand dollars or, if married, the 14
couple's assets do not exceed sixty-five thousand dollars. For program 15 Raised Bill No. 7073
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applications received by the Department of Social Services for the 16
fiscal years ending June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, only persons who 17
require the level of care provided in a nursing home shall be eligible 18
for the state-funded portion of the program, except for persons 19
residing in affordable housing under the assisted living demonstration 20
project established pursuant to section 17b-347e who are otherwise 21
eligible in accordance with this section. 22
(2) Except for persons residing in affordable housing under the 23
assisted living demonstration project established pursuant to section 24
17b-347e, as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, any person 25
whose income is at or below two hundred per cent of the federal 26
poverty level and who is ineligible for Medicaid shall contribute [nine] 27
seven per cent of the cost of his or her care. Any person whose income 28
exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level shall 29
contribute [nine] seven per cent of the cost of his or her care in 30
addition to the amount of applied income determined in accordance 31
with the methodology established by the Department of Social Services 32
for recipients of medical assistance. Any person who does not 33
contribute to the cost of care in accordance with this subdivision shall 34
be ineligible to receive services under this subsection. Notwithstanding 35
any provision of sections 17b-60 and 17b-61, the department shall not 36
be required to provide an administrative hearing to a person found 37
ineligible for services under this [subsection] subdivision because of a 38
failure to contribute to the cost of care. 39
(3) Any person who resides in affordable housing under the assisted 40
living demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e 41
and whose income is at or below two hundred per cent of the federal 42
poverty level, shall not be required to contribute to the cost of care. 43
Any person who resides in affordable housing under the assisted 44
living demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e 45
and whose income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal 46
poverty level, shall contribute to the applied income amount 47
determined in accordance with the methodology established by the 48
Department of Social Services for recipients of medical assistance. Any 49 Raised Bill No. 7073
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person whose income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal 50
poverty level and who does not contribute to the cost of care in 51
accordance with this subdivision shall be ineligible to receive services 52
under this subsection. Notwithstanding any provision of sections 17b-53
60 and 17b-61, the department shall not be required to provide an 54
administrative hearing to a person found ineligible for services under 55
this [subsection] subdivision because of a failure to contribute to the 56
cost of care. 57
(4) The annualized cost of services provided to an individual under 58
the state-funded portion of the program shall not exceed fifty per cent 59
of the weighted average cost of care in nursing homes in the state, 60
except an individual who received services costing in excess of such 61
amount under the Department of Social Services in the fiscal year 62
ending June 30, 1992, may continue to receive such services, provided 63
the annualized cost of such services does not exceed eighty per cent of 64
the weighted average cost of such nursing home care. The 65
commissioner may allow the cost of services provided to an individual 66
to exceed the maximum cost established pursuant to this subdivision 67
in a case of extreme hardship, as determined by the commissioner, 68
provided in no case shall such cost exceed that of the weighted cost of 69
such nursing home care. 70
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2019 17b-342(i)
Statement of Purpose:
To allow more senior citizens to age in place at home by expanding
income eligibility and reducing the cost share for the Connecticut
home-care program for the elderly.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
not underlined.]