Connecticut 2024 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00244 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 244
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 244
8	6		February Session, 2024
	7	+	LCO No. 1859
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	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on AGING
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(AGE)
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13		-
14		-	AN ACT REQUIRING A STUDY ON THE FEASIBILITY OF EXPANDING
15		-	ACCESS TO RESPITE SERVICES BY PURSUING A FAMILY
16		-	CAREGIVER SUPPORT BENEFIT THROUGH A MEDICAID
17		-	DEMONSTRATION WAIVER.
	19	+	AN ACT EXPANDING ACCESS TO THE ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
	20	+	RESPITE CARE PROGRAM.
18	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
19	22		Assembly convened:
20	23
21		-	Section 1. (Effective from passage) The Commissioner of Social Services 1
22		-	shall conduct a study on the feasibility of pursuing a family caregiver 2
23		-	support benefit through a Medicaid demonstration waiver under 3
24		-	Section 1115 of the Social Security Act that would provide respite 4
25		-	services and support to residents of the state who are not otherwise 5
26		-	eligible for such services under Medicaid. Such study shall include an 6
27		-	examination of (1) Oregon's project independence and family caregiver 7
28		-	assistance program operated pursuant to such a demonstration waiver, 8
29		-	(2) other options to expand eligibility for respite services for persons not 9
30		-	eligible for Medicaid, and (3) potential state-funded long-term care 10
31		-	services that could be used to offset the costs of a family caregiver 11
32		-	support benefit. Not later than January 1, 2025, the commissioner shall 12
33		-	report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 13
34		-	statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly 14
35		-	having cognizance of matters relating to aging and human services 15
36		-	regarding the results of such study. 16 Substitute Bill No. 244
	24	+	Section 1. Section 17a-860 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
	25	+	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 2
	26	+	(a) As used in this section: 3
	27	+	(1) "Respite care services" means support services which provide 4
	28	+	short-term relief from the demands of ongoing care for an individual 5
	29	+	with Alzheimer's disease. 6
	30	+	(2) "Caretaker" means a person who has the responsibility for the care 7
	31	+	of an individual with Alzheimer's disease or has assumed the 8
	32	+	responsibility for such individual voluntarily, by contract or by order of 9
	33	+	a court of competent jurisdiction. 10
	34	+	(3) "Copayment" means a payment made by or on behalf of an 11
	35	+	individual with Alzheimer's disease for respite care services. 12
	36	+	(4) "Individual with Alzheimer's disease" means an individual with 13 Raised Bill No. 244
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	40	+	LCO No. 1859 2 of 4
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	42	+	Alzheimer's disease or related disorders. 14
	43	+	(b) The Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services shall operate 15
	44	+	a program, within available appropriations, to provide respite care 16
	45	+	services for caretakers of individuals with Alzheimer's disease, 17
	46	+	provided such individuals with Alzheimer's disease meet the 18
	47	+	requirements set forth in subsection (c) of this section. Such respite care 19
	48	+	services may include, but need not be limited to: (1) [homemaker] 20
	49	+	Homemaker services; (2) adult day care; (3) temporary care in a licensed 21
	50	+	medical facility; (4) home-health care; (5) companion services; or (6) 22
	51	+	personal care assistant services. Such respite care services may be 23
	52	+	administered directly by the Department of Aging and Disability 24
	53	+	Services, or through contracts for services with providers of such 25
	54	+	services, or by means of direct subsidy to caretakers of individuals with 26
	55	+	Alzheimer's disease to purchase such services. 27
	56	+	(c) (1) No individual with Alzheimer's disease may participate in the 28
	57	+	program if such individual (A) has an annual income of more than forty-29
	58	+	one thousand dollars or liquid assets of more than one hundred nine 30
	59	+	thousand dollars, or (B) is receiving services under the Connecticut 31
	60	+	home-care program for the elderly. On July 1, 2009, and annually 32
	61	+	thereafter, the commissioner shall increase such income and asset 33
	62	+	eligibility criteria over that of the previous fiscal year to reflect the 34
	63	+	annual cost of living adjustment in Social Security income, if any. 35
	64	+	(2) No individual with Alzheimer's disease who participates in the 36
	65	+	program may receive more than three thousand five hundred dollars for 37
	66	+	services under the program in any fiscal year or receive more than thirty 38
	67	+	days of out-of-home respite care services other than adult day care 39
	68	+	services under the program in any fiscal year, except that the 40
	69	+	commissioner shall adopt regulations pursuant to subsection (d) of this 41
	70	+	section to provide up to seven thousand five hundred dollars for 42
	71	+	services to a participant in the program who demonstrates a need for 43
	72	+	additional services. 44
	73	+	(3) The commissioner may require an individual with Alzheimer's 45 Raised Bill No. 244
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	77	+	LCO No. 1859 3 of 4
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	79	+	disease who participates in the program to pay a copayment for respite 46
	80	+	care services under the program, except the commissioner may waive 47
	81	+	such copayment upon demonstration of financial hardship by such 48
	82	+	individual. 49
	83	+	(d) The commissioner shall adopt regulations in accordance with the 50
	84	+	provisions of chapter 54 to implement the provisions of this section. 51
	85	+	Such regulations shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) [standards] 52
	86	+	Standards for eligibility for respite care services; (2) the basis for priority 53
	87	+	in receiving services; (3) qualifications and requirements of providers, 54
	88	+	which shall include specialized training in Alzheimer's disease, 55
	89	+	dementia and related disorders; (4) a requirement that providers 56
	90	+	accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare 57
	91	+	Organizations, when available, receive preference in contracting for 58
	92	+	services; (5) provider reimbursement levels; (6) limits on services and 59
	93	+	cost of services; and (7) a fee schedule for copayments. 60
	94	+	(e) The commissioner may allocate any funds appropriated in excess 61
	95	+	of five hundred thousand dollars for the program among the five area 62
	96	+	agencies on aging according to need, as determined by the 63
	97	+	commissioner. 64
	98	+	(f) The Commissioner of Social Services shall apply for any available 65
	99	+	federal funding, including, but not limited to, a waiver under Section 66
	100	+	1115 of the Social Security Act, as amended from time to time, to support 67
	101	+	the program established pursuant to this section. 68
	102	+	Sec. 2. Subsection (g) of section 17a-780 of the general statutes is 69
	103	+	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 70
	104	+	2024): 71
	105	+	(g) The Department of Aging and Disability Services is designated as 72
	106	+	the State Unit on Aging to administer, manage, design and advocate for 73
	107	+	benefits, programs and services for older persons and their families 74
	108	+	pursuant to the Older Americans Act. The department shall study 75
	109	+	continuously the conditions and needs of older persons in this state in 76
	110	+	relation to nutrition, transportation, home care, housing, income, 77 Raised Bill No. 244
	111	+
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	114	+	LCO No. 1859 4 of 4
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	116	+	employment, health, recreation and other matters. The department shall 78
	117	+	be responsible, in cooperation with federal, state, local and area 79
	118	+	planning agencies on aging, for the overall planning, development and 80
	119	+	administration of a comprehensive and integrated social service 81
	120	+	delivery system for older persons. The Department of Aging and 82
	121	+	Disability Services is designated as the state agency for the 83
	122	+	administration of nutritional programs for elderly persons described in 84
	123	+	section 17a-852, the fall prevention program described in section 17a-85
	124	+	859, the CHOICES program described in section 17a-857, the Aging and 86
	125	+	Disability Resource Center Program described in section 17a-858 and 87
	126	+	the Alzheimer's [respite] disease respite care program described in 88
	127	+	section 17b-860. 89
43	128		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
44	129		sections:
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46		-	Section 1 from passage New section
	131	+	Section 1 July 1, 2024 17a-860
	132	+	Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 17a-780(g)
47	133
48		-	AGE Joint Favorable Subst.
	134	+	Statement of Purpose:
	135	+	To require the Commissioner of Social Services to seek, and, if issued,
	136	+	implement a waiver under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act to seek
	137	+	federal funds to support the Alzheimer's disease respite care program.
	138	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	139	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	140	+	underlined.]
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