Connecticut 2019 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00944 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	LCO No. 4906 1 of 4
4	4
5	5	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 944
6	6	January Session, 2019
7	7	LCO No. 4906
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9	9
10	10	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
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12	12
13	13	Introduced by:
14	14	(HS)
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19	19	AN ACT CONCERNING TH E PROVISION OF SERVICES TO
20	20	CHILDREN BY OCCUPATI ONAL THERAPISTS.
21	21	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	22	Assembly convened:
23	23
24	24	Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2019) (a) An occupational 1
25	25	therapist, licensed pursuant to section 20-74b or 20-74c of the general 2
26	26	statutes and providing services on a fee schedule to children enrolled 3
27	27	in HUSKY A, may enroll as an independent Medicaid provider and 4
28	28	bill the medical assistance program for providing self -care 5
29	29	management and motor skills therapy to such children. The 6
30	30	Commissioner of Social Services shall provide reimbursement under 7
31	31	the independent group fee schedule for such therapy and shall make 8
32	32	any necessary changes in the Medicaid state plan to provide such 9
33	33	reimbursement. 10
34	34	(b) The Commissioner of Social Services, in consultation with the 11
35	35	Commissioner of Early Childhood, shall (1) compensate each local or 12
36	36	regional board of education and occupational therapists providing 13
37	37	Medicaid-eligible services as part of the birth-to-three program, as 14
38	38	described in section 17a-248 of the general statutes, at the rate of the 15 Raised Bill No. 944
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42	42	LCO No. 4906 2 of 4
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44	44	independent group fee schedule, (2) require occupational therapists to 16
45	45	conduct quarterly audits by submitting documentation verifying that 17
46	46	clients appeared for treatment and any billing associated with such 18
47	47	treatment, and (3) provide annual training to occupational therapists 19
48	48	concerning any new billing requirements. 20
49	49	Sec. 2. Section 17a-106e of the general statutes is repealed and the 21
50	50	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 22
51	51	(a) (1) [On and after October 1, 2013, the] The Department of 23
52	52	Children and Families shall, within available appropriations, ensure 24
53	53	that each child thirty-six months of age or younger who has been 25
54	54	substantiated as a victim of abuse or neglect is screened for both 26
55	55	developmental and social-emotional delays using [validated 27
56	56	assessment tools such as the Ages and Stages and] the Ages and 28
57	57	Stages-Social/Emotional Questionnaires. [, or their equivalents.] The 29
58	58	department shall ensure that such screenings are administered to any 30
59	59	such child twice annually. [, unless such child has been found to be 31
60	60	eligible for the birth-to-three program, established under section 17a-32
61	61	248b.] 33
62	62	(2) [On and after July 1, 2015, the] The department shall ensure that 34
63	63	each child thirty-six months of age or younger who is being served 35
64	64	through the department's family assessment response program, 36
65	65	established under section 17a-101g, is screened for both developmental 37
66	66	and social-emotional delays using [validated assessment tools such as] 38
67	67	the Ages and Stages and the Ages and Stages-Social/Emotional 39
68	68	Questionnaires. [, or their equivalents, unless such child has been 40
69	69	found to be eligible for the birth-to-three program.] 41
70	70	(b) The department shall refer any child exhibiting developmental 42
71	71	or social-emotional delays pursuant to such screenings to the birth-to-43
72	72	three program. The department shall refer any child who is not found 44
73	73	eligible for services under the birth-to-three program to the Help Me 45
74	74	Grow prevention program under the Office of Early Childhood, 46
75	75	pursuant to section 17b-751d, or a similar program that the department 47 Raised Bill No. 944
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79	79	LCO No. 4906 3 of 4
80	80
81	81	deems appropriate. 48
82	82	(c) Not later than July 1, 2014, and annually thereafter, the 49
83	83	department shall submit, in accordance with the provisions of section 50
84	84	11-4a, a report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly 51
85	85	having cognizance of matters relating to children for inclusion in the 52
86	86	annual report card prepared pursuant to section 2-53m on the status of 53
87	87	the screening and referral program authorized pursuant to subsection 54
88	88	(a) of this section. Such report shall include: (1) The number of children 55
89	89	thirty-six months of age or younger within the state who have been 56
90	90	substantiated as victims of abuse or neglect within the preceding 57
91	91	twelve months; (2) the number of children thirty-six months of age or 58
92	92	younger within the state who have been served through the 59
93	93	department's family assessment response program within the 60
94	94	preceding twelve months; (3) the number of children who were 61
95	95	screened for developmental and social-emotional delays pursuant to 62
96	96	subsection (a) of this section by the department or by a provider 63
97	97	contracted by the department within the preceding twelve months; (4) 64
98	98	the number of children in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection 65
99	99	referred for evaluation under the birth-to-three program within the 66
100	100	preceding twelve months, the number of such children actually 67
101	101	evaluated under such program, the number of such children found 68
102	102	eligible for services under such program and the services for which 69
103	103	such children were found eligible under such program; and (5) the 70
104	104	number of children described in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this 71
105	105	subsection receiving evidence-based developmental support services 72
106	106	through the birth-to-three program or through a provider contracted 73
107	107	by the department within the preceding twelve months. 74
108	108	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
109	109	sections:
110	110
111	111	Section 1 July 1, 2019 New section
112	112	Sec. 2 July 1, 2019 17a-106e
113	113	Raised Bill No. 944
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116	116
117	117	LCO No. 4906 4 of 4
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119	119	Statement of Purpose:
120	120	To change the Medicaid reimbursement methodology for occupational
121	121	therapists and to require certain screening tools be used to assess
122	122	children involved in substantiated cases of abuse and neglect.
123	123	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline,
124	124	except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is
125	125	not underlined.]
126	126