CT
Connecticut Senate Bill SB00931

Connecticut 2023 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00931 Compare Versions

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77 General Assembly Raised Bill No. 931
88 January Session, 2023
99 LCO No. 3450
1010
1111
1212 Referred to Committee on AGING
1313
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1515 Introduced by:
1616 (AGE)
1717
1818
1919
2020 AN ACT EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
2121 RESPITE CARE PROGRAM.
2222 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
2323 Assembly convened:
2424
2525 Section 1. Section 17a-860 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
2626 following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2023): 2
2727 (a) As used in this section: 3
2828 (1) "Respite care services" means support services which provide 4
2929 short-term relief from the demands of ongoing care for an individual 5
3030 with Alzheimer's disease. 6
31-(2) "Caretaker" means a person who has the responsibility for the care 7
32-of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or has assumed the 8
33-responsibility for such individual voluntarily, by contract or by order of 9
34-a court of competent jurisdiction. 10
31+(2) "Caretaker" means a person who has the responsibility for the 7
32+care of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or has assumed the 8
33+responsibility for such individual voluntarily, by contract or by order 9
34+of a court of competent jurisdiction. 10
3535 (3) "Copayment" means a payment made by or on behalf of an 11
36-individual with Alzheimer's disease for respite care services. 12 Bill No. 931
36+individual with Alzheimer's disease for respite care services. 12
37+(4) "Individual with Alzheimer's disease" means an individual with 13 Bill No. 931
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43-(4) "Individual with Alzheimer's disease" means an individual with 13
4444 Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. 14
4545 (b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall operate 15
4646 a program [, within available appropriations,] to provide respite care 16
4747 services for caretakers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, 17
4848 provided such individuals with Alzheimer's disease meet the 18
49-requirements set forth in subsection (c) of this section. Such respite care 19
50-services may include, but need not be limited to: (1) [homemaker] 20
51-Homemaker services; (2) adult day care; (3) temporary care in a licensed 21
52-medical facility; (4) home-health care; (5) companion services; or (6) 22
53-personal care assistant services. Such respite care services may be 23
49+requirements set forth in subsection (c) of this section. Such respite 19
50+care services may include, but need not be limited to: (1) [homemaker] 20
51+Homemaker services; (2) adult day care; (3) temporary care in a 21
52+licensed medical facility; (4) home-health care; (5) companion services; 22
53+or (6) personal care assistant services. Such respite care services may be 23
5454 administered directly by the Department of Aging and Disability 24
5555 Services, or through contracts for services with providers of such 25
56-services, or by means of direct subsidy to caretakers of individuals with 26
57-Alzheimer's disease to purchase such services. 27
56+services, or by means of direct subsidy to caretakers of individuals 26
57+with Alzheimer's disease to purchase such services. 27
5858 (c) (1) No individual with Alzheimer's disease may participate in the 28
5959 program if such individual (A) has an annual income of more than 29
6060 [forty-one] seventy thousand dollars or liquid assets of more than one 30
6161 hundred [nine] seventy-nine thousand dollars, or (B) is receiving 31
6262 services under the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly. [On 32
6363 July 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, the] The commissioner shall 33
6464 increase such income and asset eligibility criteria over that of the 34
6565 previous fiscal year to reflect the annual cost of living adjustment in 35
6666 Social Security income, if any. 36
6767 (2) No individual with Alzheimer's disease who participates in the 37
68-program may receive more than three thousand five hundred dollars for 38
69-services under the program in any fiscal year or receive more than thirty 39
70-days of out-of-home respite care services other than adult day care 40
71-services under the program in any fiscal year, except that the 41
68+program may receive more than three thousand five hundred dollars 38
69+for services under the program in any fiscal year or receive more than 39
70+thirty days of out-of-home respite care services other than adult day 40
71+care services under the program in any fiscal year, except that the 41
7272 commissioner shall adopt regulations pursuant to subsection (d) of this 42
7373 section to provide up to seven thousand five hundred dollars for 43
7474 services to a participant in the program who demonstrates a need for 44
7575 additional services. 45 Bill No. 931
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8282 (3) The commissioner may require an individual with Alzheimer's 46
8383 disease who participates in the program to pay a copayment for respite 47
8484 care services under the program, except the commissioner may waive 48
8585 such copayment upon demonstration of financial hardship by such 49
8686 individual. 50
8787 (d) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 51
8888 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 17a-780 of the general statutes is 66
103-repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 67
104-2023): 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 Bill No. 931
89+Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) 53
90+[standards] Standards for eligibility for respite care services; (2) the 54
91+basis for priority in receiving services; (3) qualifications and 55
92+requirements of providers, which shall include specialized training in 56
93+Alzheimer's disease, dementia and related disorders; (4) a requirement 57
94+that providers accredited by the Joint Commission on the 58
95+Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, when available, receive 59
96+preference in contracting for services; (5) provider reimbursement 60
97+levels; (6) limits on services and cost of services; and (7) a fee schedule 61
98+for copayments. 62
99+(e) The commissioner may allocate any funds appropriated in excess 63
100+of five hundred thousand dollars for the program among the five area 64
101+agencies on aging according to need, as determined by the 65
102+commissioner. 66
103+Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 17a-780 of the general statutes is 67
104+repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 68
105+1, 2023): 69
106+(g) The Department of Aging and Disability Services is designated 70
107+as the State Unit on Aging to administer, manage, design and advocate 71
108+for benefits, programs and services for older persons and their families 72
109+pursuant to the Older Americans Act. The department shall study 73
110+continuously the conditions and needs of older persons in this state in 74
111+relation to nutrition, transportation, home care, housing, income, 75
112+employment, health, recreation and other matters. The department 76
113+shall be responsible, in cooperation with federal, state, local and area 77 Bill No. 931
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120-administration of a comprehensive and integrated social service 78
121-delivery system for older persons. The Department of Aging and 79
122-Disability Services is designated as the state agency for the 80
123-administration of nutritional programs for elderly persons described in 81
124-section 17a-852, the fall prevention program described in section 17a-82
125-859, the CHOICES program described in section 17a-857, the Aging and 83
126-Disability Resource Center Program described in section 17a-858 and 84
127-the Alzheimer's [respite] disease respite care program described in 85
128-section [17b-860] 17a-860, as amended by this act. 86
129-Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) The sum of one million dollars is 87
130-appropriated to the Department of Aging and Disability Services from 88
131-the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, to expand 89
132-access to the Alzheimer's disease respite care program. 90
133-(b) The sum of one million dollars is appropriated to the Department 91
134-of Aging and Disability Services from the General Fund, for the fiscal 92
135-year ending June 30, 2025, to expand access to the Alzheimer's disease 93
136-respite care program. 94
120+planning agencies on aging, for the overall planning, development and 78
121+administration of a comprehensive and integrated social service 79
122+delivery system for older persons. The Department of Aging and 80
123+Disability Services is designated as the state agency for the 81
124+administration of nutritional programs for elderly persons described in 82
125+section 17a-852, the fall prevention program described in section 17a-83
126+859, the CHOICES program described in section 17a-857, the Aging 84
127+and Disability Resource Center Program described in section 17a-858 85
128+and the Alzheimer's [respite] disease respite care program described in 86
129+section [17b-860] 17a-860, as amended by this act. 87
130+Sec. 3. (Effective July 1, 2023) (a) The sum of one million dollars is 88
131+appropriated to the Department of Aging and Disability Services from 89
132+the General Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, to expand 90
133+access to the Alzheimer's disease respite care program. 91
134+(b) The sum of one million dollars is appropriated to the 92
135+Department of Aging and Disability Services from the General Fund, 93
136+for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, to expand access to the 94
137+Alzheimer's disease respite care program. 95
137138 This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
138139 sections:
139140
140141 Section 1 July 1, 2023 17a-860
141142 Sec. 2 July 1, 2023 17a-780(g)
142143 Sec. 3 July 1, 2023 New section
143144
144145 AGE Joint Favorable
145-APP Joint Favorable
146146