O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 21-148—sSB 955
Human Services Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING RE VISIONS TO PROVISION S OF THE
GENERAL STATUTES AFF ECTING THE DEPARTMEN T OF SOCIAL
SERVICES AND A STUDY OF PAYMENT PAR ITY FOR HUMAN
SERVICES PROVIDERS
SUMMARY: This act limits participation in the state-funded Connecticut Home
Care Program for Persons with Disabilities (see BACKGROUND ) to those who
are ineligible for Medicaid or Medicaid waivers (§ 8). It also expands the seven-
member Statewide Health Information Exchange board of directors to include the
Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioner, or her designee, as an ex-
officio voting member (§ 9).
The act requires the DSS commissioner, in collaboration with the Mental
Health and Addiction Services and Housing commissioners, to do the following:
1. study whether state-contracted human services providers receive disparate
payment rates under programs they administer in different regions of the
state and
2. report by November 1, 2021, on the rate study and any rate adjustment
recommendations to the Appropriations, Housing, Human Services, and
Public Health committees (§ 11).
For the study, “human services” includes (1) physical and behavioral health
services and (2) housing and shelter services provided to homeless persons.
The act makes other various changes to the laws governing DSS. Specifically,
it eliminates the following:
1. references to the state’s Weatherization Assistance Program from the
annual Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program reporting
requirements (the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
now administers the program in partnership with community action
agencies) (§ 1);
2. the requirement that DSS include a copy of the transcript of the
cognizance committees’ review proceeding when submitting to the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (a) a Medicaid waiver
application or renewal or (b) certain proposed amendments to the
Medicaid state plan (§ 2);
3. the requirement that DSS develop uniform regulations for licensing human
services facilities, which the state auditors interpreted as requiring DSS to
promulgate for these facilities regardless of whether they are within its
purview (§ 3);
4. an outdated requirement that DSS, in collaboration with the Council on
Medical Assistance Program Oversight, annually prepare a report, within
available appropriations, that includes a comparison of the performance of O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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each Medicaid managed care organization and other member service
delivery choices (managed care is no longer used by the state Medicaid
program) (§ 4);
5. references to freestanding medical clinics from a provision on Medicaid
rate adjustments based on cost reporting (these clinics are not paid via this
method and are instead paid according to a fee schedule) (§ 5);
6. the requirement that DSS adopt regulations to certify federally qualified
health centers (the state Medicaid plan no longer uses this aspect of
Medicaid managed care) (§ 6);
7. the requirement that the Office of Child Support Services within DSS (a)
establish, maintain, and periodically update a list of delinquent child
support obligors and (b) publish, on the DSS website, a list of the 100
individuals with the highest delinquent child support obligations, which in
practice DSS has never published (§ 10); and
8. three obsolete statutes about an inactive Temporary Family Assistance
client advisory board (CGS § 17b-184), a formulary for certain generic
prescription drug costs that are now reimbursed according to federal
regulations (CGS § 17b-274a), and a reporting requirement on
employment opportunities and training for persons with disabilities (CGS
§ 17b-610) (§ 12).
The act additionally (1) replaces a reference to the Connecticut Law Journal,
instead requiring DSS to post notices of its intent to adopt regulations regarding
community health centers on its website and the eRegulations system, and (2)
makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021, except the provisions about the Connecticut
Home Care Program for Persons with Disabilities, Statewide Health Information
Exchange board of directors, and human service provider rate study are effective
upon passage.
BACKGROUND
Connecticut Home Care Program for Persons with Disabilities
Under existing law, this state-funded pilot serves up to 100 people with
disabilities who are age 18 to 64, are inappropriately institutionalized or at risk of
becoming so, and meet certain asset limits.