Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06386 Latest Draft

Bill / Comm Sub Version Filed 03/03/2023

                             
 
LCO 3532  \\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06386-R02-
HB.docx  
1 of 4 
  
General Assembly  Committee Bill No.  6386  
January Session, 2023  
LCO No. 3532 
 
 
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES  
 
 
Introduced by:  
(HS)  
 
 
 
AN ACT CONCERNING SAFEGUARDING THE RIGHTS, HEALTH, 
FINANCES AND QUALITY OF LIFE OF NURSING HOME RESIDENTS.  
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General 
Assembly convened: 
 
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) The Commissioner of Social 1 
Services shall ensure that the Department of Social Services (1) renders 2 
a final decision on a Medicaid applicant's eligibility promptly and 3 
without undue delay in accordance with section 17b-80 of the general 4 
statutes, and (2) provides written notice to such applicant of the 5 
department's final decision not later than fifteen calendar days after 6 
such decision is rendered.  7 
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) For purposes of this section (1) 8 
"nursing home facility" means a chronic and convalescent nursing 9 
home and a rest home with nursing supervision, and (2) "action to 10 
recover costs" includes, but is not limited to, placing a lien on real 11 
property of a Medicaid applicant. A nursing home facility shall not 12 
take any action to recover costs from a Medicaid applicant residing in 13 
such facility until a final decision has been rendered by the 14 
Department of Social Services on such applicant's Medicaid eligibility 15 
and such applicant has exhausted all appeal rights pursuant to sections 16  Committee Bill No. 6386 
 
 
LCO 3532  {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06386-
R02-HB.docx }   
2 of 4 
 
17b-60 and 17b-61 of the general statutes. 17 
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 17b-340e of the general statutes is 18 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 19 
1, 2023): 20 
(a) In addition to any applicable recoupment or rate decrease 21 
pursuant to any other provision of the general statutes, a nursing home 22 
facility that receives a rate increase for wage enhancements for facility 23 
employees may also be assessed a civil penalty if the facility fails to use 24 
the rate increase for that purpose. The Department of Social Services 25 
may assess a civil penalty upon completion of a department audit 26 
conducted in accordance with the nursing home facility's Medicaid 27 
provider enrollment agreements. The civil penalty assessed pursuant 28 
to this section shall not exceed an amount greater than [fifty] seventy-29 
five per cent of the total dollar amount of the rate increase received by 30 
the nursing home facility but not used for wage enhancements for 31 
facility employees. 32 
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 19a-494 of the general statutes is 33 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 34 
1, 2023): 35 
(a) The Commissioner of Public Health, after a hearing held in 36 
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, may take any of the 37 
following actions, singly or in combination, in any case in which the 38 
commissioner finds that there has been a substantial failure to comply 39 
with the requirements established under this chapter, the Public 40 
Health Code or licensing regulations: 41 
(1) Revoke a license or certificate; 42 
(2) Suspend a license or certificate; 43 
(3) Censure a licensee or certificate holder; 44 
(4) Issue a letter of reprimand to a licensee or certificate holder; 45  Committee Bill No. 6386 
 
 
LCO 3532  {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06386-
R02-HB.docx }   
3 of 4 
 
(5) Place a licensee or certificate holder on probationary status and 46 
require him to report regularly to the department on the matters which 47 
are the basis of the probation; 48 
(6) Restrict the acquisition of other facilities for a period of time set 49 
by the commissioner;  50 
(7) Issue an order compelling compliance with applicable statutes or 51 
regulations of the department; [or]  52 
(8) Assess a civil penalty against a licensee or certificate holder; or 53 
[(8)] (9) Impose a directed plan of correction. 54 
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 19a-562h of the general statutes is 55 
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 56 
1, 2023): 57 
(a) If the Commissioner of Public Health finds that a nursing home 58 
facility has substantially failed to comply with a nursing home facility 59 
staffing level requirement established pursuant to the regulations of 60 
Connecticut state agencies, the commissioner may (1) take any 61 
disciplinary action against the nursing home facility permitted under 62 
section 19a-494, as amended by this act, including, but not limited to, 63 
assessing a civil penalty against the licensee of such nursing home 64 
facility, and (2) issue or cause to be issued a citation to the licensee of 65 
such nursing home facility pursuant to the provisions of section 19a-66 
524. 67 
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following 
sections: 
 
Section 1 July 1, 2023 New section 
Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 New section 
Sec. 3 July 1, 2023 17b-340e(a) 
Sec. 4 July 1, 2023 19a-494(a) 
Sec. 5 July 1, 2023 19a-562h(a) 
  Committee Bill No. 6386 
 
 
LCO 3532  {\\PRDFS1\HCOUSERS\BARRYJN\WS\2023HB-06386-
R02-HB.docx }   
4 of 4 
 
HS Joint Favorable C/R 	APP