Connecticut 2022 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00175 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 175
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	6	+	LCO No. 1436 1 of 4
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	8	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 175
8	9		February Session, 2022
	10	+	LCO No. 1436
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	13	+	Referred to Committee on AGING
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	15	+
	16	+	Introduced by:
	17	+	(AGE)
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14	22		AN ACT EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY FOR THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
15	23		RESPITE CARE PROGRAM AND SUPPORTING AGING IN PLACE.
16	24		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
17	25		Assembly convened:
18	26
19	27		Section 1. Section 17b-349e of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
20	28		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2022): 2
21	29		(a) As used in this section: 3
22	30		(1) "Respite care services" means support services which provide 4
23	31		short-term relief from the demands of ongoing care for an individual 5
24	32		with Alzheimer's disease. 6
25	33		(2) "Caretaker" means a person who has the responsibility for the care 7
26	34		of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or has assumed the 8
27	35		responsibility for such individual voluntarily, by contract or by order of 9
28	36		a court of competent jurisdiction. 10
29	37		(3) "Copayment" means a payment made by or on behalf of an 11
30	38		individual with Alzheimer's disease for respite care services. 12
31		-	(4) "Individual with Alzheimer's disease" means an individual with 13
32		-	Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. 14
33		-	(b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall operate 15 Substitute Bill No. 175
	39	+	(4) "Individual with Alzheimer's disease" means an individual with 13 Raised Bill No. 175
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	45	+	Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. 14
	46	+	(b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall operate 15
40	47		a program [, within available appropriations,] to provide respite care 16
41	48		services for caretakers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, 17
42	49		provided such individuals with Alzheimer's disease meet the 18
43	50		requirements set forth in subsection (c) of this section. Such respite care 19
44	51		services may include, but need not be limited to: (1) [homemaker] 20
45	52		Homemaker services; (2) adult day care; (3) temporary care in a licensed 21
46	53		medical facility; (4) home-health care; (5) companion services; or (6) 22
47	54		personal care assistant services. Such respite care services may be 23
48	55		administered directly by the Department of Aging and Disability 24
49	56		Services, or through contracts for services with providers of such 25
50	57		services, or by means of direct subsidy to caretakers of individuals with 26
51	58		Alzheimer's disease to purchase such services. 27
52	59		(c) (1) No individual with Alzheimer's disease may participate in the 28
53	60		program if such individual (A) has an annual income of more than 29
54	61		[forty-one] fifty-five thousand dollars or liquid assets of more than one 30
55		-	hundred [nine] forty thousand dollars, or (B) is receiving services under 31
56		-	the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly. [On July 1, 2009, and 32
57		-	annually thereafter, the] The commissioner shall increase such income 33
58		-	and asset eligibility criteria over that of the previous fiscal year to reflect 34
59		-	the annual cost of living adjustment in Social Security income, if any. 35
60		-	(2) No individual with Alzheimer's disease who participates in the 36
61		-	program may receive more than three thousand five hundred dollars for 37
62		-	services under the program in any fiscal year or receive more than thirty 38
63		-	days of out-of-home respite care services other than adult day care 39
64		-	services under the program in any fiscal year, except that the 40
65		-	commissioner shall adopt regulations pursuant to subsection (d) of this 41
66		-	section to provide up to seven thousand five hundred dollars for 42
67		-	services to a participant in the program who demonstrates a need for 43
68		-	additional services. 44
69		-	(3) The commissioner may require an individual with Alzheimer's 45
70		-	disease who participates in the program to pay a copayment for respite 46
71		-	care services under the program, except the commissioner may waive 47
72		-	such copayment upon demonstration of financial hardship by such 48 Substitute Bill No. 175
	62	+	hundred [nine] thirty-five thousand dollars, or (B) is receiving services 31
	63	+	under the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly. [On July 1, 32
	64	+	2009, and annually thereafter, the] The commissioner shall increase such 33
	65	+	income and asset eligibility criteria over that of the previous fiscal year 34
	66	+	to reflect the annual cost of living adjustment in Social Security income, 35
	67	+	if any. 36
	68	+	(2) No individual with Alzheimer's disease who participates in the 37
	69	+	program may receive more than three thousand five hundred dollars for 38
	70	+	services under the program in any fiscal year or receive more than thirty 39
	71	+	days of out-of-home respite care services other than adult day care 40
	72	+	services under the program in any fiscal year, except that the 41
	73	+	commissioner shall adopt regulations pursuant to subsection (d) of this 42
	74	+	section to provide up to seven thousand five hundred dollars for 43
	75	+	services to a participant in the program who demonstrates a need for 44
	76	+	additional services. 45 Raised Bill No. 175
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79		-	individual. 49
80		-	(d) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 50
81		-	provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section. 51
82		-	Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) [standards] 52
83		-	Standards for eligibility for respite care services; (2) the basis for priority 53
84		-	in receiving services; (3) qualifications and requirements of providers, 54
85		-	which shall include specialized training in Alzheimer's disease, 55
86		-	dementia and related disorders; (4) a requirement that providers 56
87		-	accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare 57
88		-	Organizations, when available, receive preference in contracting for 58
89		-	services; (5) provider reimbursement levels; (6) limits on services and 59
90		-	cost of services; and (7) a fee schedule for copayments. 60
91		-	(e) The commissioner may allocate any funds appropriated in excess 61
92		-	of five hundred thousand dollars for the program among the five area 62
93		-	agencies on aging according to need, as determined by the 63
94		-	commissioner. 64
95		-	Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 17b-650a of the general statutes is 65
96		-	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 66
97		-	2022): 67
98		-	(g) The Department of Aging and Disability Services is designated as 68
99		-	the State Unit on Aging to administer, manage, design and advocate for 69
100		-	benefits, programs and services for older persons and their families 70
101		-	pursuant to the Older Americans Act. The department shall study 71
102		-	continuously the conditions and needs of older persons in this state in 72
103		-	relation to nutrition, transportation, home care, housing, income, 73
104		-	employment, health, recreation and other matters. The department shall 74
105		-	be responsible, in cooperation with federal, state, local and area 75
106		-	planning agencies on aging, for the overall planning, development and 76
107		-	administration of a comprehensive and integrated social service 77
108		-	delivery system for older persons. The Department of Aging and 78
109		-	Disability Services is designated as the state agency for the 79
110		-	administration of nutritional programs for elderly persons described in 80 Substitute Bill No. 175
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	82	+	(3) The commissioner may require an individual with Alzheimer's 46
	83	+	disease who participates in the program to pay a copayment for respite 47
	84	+	care services under the program, except the commissioner may waive 48
	85	+	such copayment upon demonstration of financial hardship by such 49
	86	+	individual. 50
	87	+	(d) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 51
	88	+	provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section. 52
	89	+	Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) [standards] 53
	90	+	Standards for eligibility for respite care services; (2) the basis for priority 54
	91	+	in receiving services; (3) qualifications and requirements of providers, 55
	92	+	which shall include specialized training in Alzheimer's disease, 56
	93	+	dementia and related disorders; (4) a requirement that providers 57
	94	+	accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare 58
	95	+	Organizations, when available, receive preference in contracting for 59
	96	+	services; (5) provider reimbursement levels; (6) limits on services and 60
	97	+	cost of services; and (7) a fee schedule for copayments. 61
	98	+	(e) The commissioner may allocate any funds appropriated in excess 62
	99	+	of five hundred thousand dollars for the program among the five area 63
	100	+	agencies on aging according to need, as determined by the 64
	101	+	commissioner. 65
	102	+	Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 17b-650a of the general statutes is 66
	103	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 67
	104	+	2022): 68
	105	+	(g) The Department of Aging and Disability Services is designated as 69
	106	+	the State Unit on Aging to administer, manage, design and advocate for 70
	107	+	benefits, programs and services for older persons and their families 71
	108	+	pursuant to the Older Americans Act. The department shall study 72
	109	+	continuously the conditions and needs of older persons in this state in 73
	110	+	relation to nutrition, transportation, home care, housing, income, 74
	111	+	employment, health, recreation and other matters. The department shall 75
	112	+	be responsible, in cooperation with federal, state, local and area 76
	113	+	planning agencies on aging, for the overall planning, development and 77 Raised Bill No. 175
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117		-	section 17a-302, the fall prevention program described in section 17a-81
118		-	303a, the CHOICES program described in section 17a-314, the Aging 82
119		-	and Disability Resource Center Program described in section 17a-316a 83
120		-	and the Alzheimer's [respite] disease respite care program described in 84
121		-	section 17b-349e, as amended by this act. 85
122		-	Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2022) The following sums are appropriated 86
123		-	from the General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, for the 87
124		-	purpose of allowing more older Americans to age in place at home: (1) 88
125		-	Two million dollars to the Department of Social Services to expand 89
126		-	access to the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly, and (2) one 90
127		-	million dollars to the Department of Aging and Disability Services to 91
128		-	expand access to the Alzheimer's disease respite care program. 92
	117	+	LCO No. 1436 4 of 4
	118	+
	119	+	administration of a comprehensive and integrated social service 78
	120	+	delivery system for older persons. The Department of Aging and 79
	121	+	Disability Services is designated as the state agency for the 80
	122	+	administration of nutritional programs for elderly persons described in 81
	123	+	section 17a-302, the fall prevention program described in section 17a-82
	124	+	303a, the CHOICES program described in section 17a-314, the Aging 83
	125	+	and Disability Resource Center Program described in section 17a-316a 84
	126	+	and the Alzheimer's [respite] disease respite care program described in 85
	127	+	section 17b-349e, as amended by this act. 86
	128	+	Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2022) The following sums are appropriated 87
	129	+	from the General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, for the 88
	130	+	purpose of allowing more senior citizens to age in place at home: (1) 89
	131	+	Two million dollars to the Department of Social Services to expand 90
	132	+	access to the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly, and (2) one 91
	133	+	million dollars to the Department of Aging and Disability Services to 92
	134	+	expand access to the Alzheimer's disease respite care program. 93
129	135		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
130	136		sections:
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132	138		Section 1 July 1, 2022 17b-349e
133	139		Sec. 2 July 1, 2022 17b-650a(g)
134	140		Sec. 3 July 1, 2022 New section
135	141
136		-	AGE Joint Favorable Subst. C/R APP
	142	+	Statement of Purpose:
	143	+	To expand eligibility for the Alzheimer's disease respite care program
	144	+	and provide funding to allow more senior citizens to age in place at
	145	+	home.
	146	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	147	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	148	+	underlined.]
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