Connecticut 2024 Regular Session

Connecticut Senate Bill SB00311 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	LCO No. 2153 1 of 13
4	4
5	5	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 311
6	6	February Session, 2024
7	7	LCO No. 2153
8	8
9	9
10	10	Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
11	11
12	12
13	13	Introduced by:
14	14	(HS)
15	15
16	16
17	17
18	18
19	19	AN ACT CONCERNING THE CONNECTICUT HOME -CARE PROGRAM
20	20	FOR THE ELDERLY.
21	21	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
22	22	Assembly convened:
23	23
24	24	Section 1. Section 17b-342 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
25	25	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 2
26	26	(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall administer the 3
27	27	Connecticut home-care program for the elderly state-wide in order to 4
28	28	prevent the institutionalization of elderly persons who (1) [who] are 5
29	29	recipients of medical assistance, (2) [who] are eligible for such 6
30	30	assistance, (3) [who] would be eligible for medical assistance if residing 7
31	31	in a nursing facility, or (4) [who] meet the criteria for the state-funded 8
32	32	portion of the program under subsection [(i)] (j) of this section. For 9
33	33	purposes of this section, [a long-term care facility is] "long-term care 10
34	34	facility" means a facility that has been federally certified as a skilled 11
35	35	nursing facility or intermediate care facility. The commissioner shall 12
36	36	make any revisions in the state Medicaid plan required by Title XIX of 13
37	37	the Social Security Act prior to implementing the program. The program 14
38	38	shall be structured so that the net cost to the state for long-term facility 15 Raised Bill No. 311
39	39
40	40
41	41
42	42	LCO No. 2153 2 of 13
43	43
44	44	care in combination with the services under the program shall not 16
45	45	exceed the net cost the state would have incurred without the program. 17
46	46	The commissioner shall investigate the possibility of receiving federal 18
47	47	funds for the program and shall apply for any necessary federal 19
48	48	waivers. A recipient of services under the program, and the estate and 20
49	49	legally liable relatives of the recipient, shall be responsible for 21
50	50	reimbursement to the state for such services to the same extent required 22
51	51	of a recipient of assistance under the state supplement program, medical 23
52	52	assistance program, temporary family assistance program or 24
53	53	supplemental nutrition assistance program. Only a United States citizen 25
54	54	or a noncitizen who meets the citizenship requirements for eligibility 26
55	55	under the Medicaid program shall be eligible for home-care services 27
56	56	under this section, except a qualified alien, as defined in Section 431 of 28
57	57	Public Law 104-193, admitted into the United States on or after August 29
58	58	22, 1996, or other lawfully residing immigrant alien determined eligible 30
59	59	for services under this section prior to July 1, 1997, shall remain eligible 31
60	60	for such services. Qualified aliens or other lawfully residing immigrant 32
61	61	aliens not determined eligible prior to July 1, 1997, shall be eligible for 33
62	62	services under this section subsequent to six months from establishing 34
63	63	residency. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, any 35
64	64	qualified alien or other lawfully residing immigrant alien or alien who 36
65	65	formerly held the status of permanently residing under color of law who 37
66	66	is a victim of domestic violence or who has intellectual disability shall 38
67	67	be eligible for assistance pursuant to this section. Qualified aliens, as 39
68	68	defined in Section 431 of Public Law 104-193, or other lawfully residing 40
69	69	immigrant aliens or aliens who formerly held the status of permanently 41
70	70	residing under color of law shall be eligible for services under this 42
71	71	section provided other conditions of eligibility are met. 43
72	72	(b) The commissioner shall solicit bids through a competitive process 44
73	73	and shall contract with an access agency, approved by the Office of 45
74	74	Policy and Management and the Department of Social Services as 46
75	75	meeting the requirements for such agency as defined by regulations 47
76	76	adopted pursuant to subsection [(e)] (n) of this section, that submits 48
77	77	proposals [which] that meet or exceed the minimum bid requirements. 49 Raised Bill No. 311
78	78
79	79
80	80
81	81	LCO No. 2153 3 of 13
82	82
83	83	In addition to such contracts, the commissioner may use department 50
84	84	staff to provide screening, coordination, assessment and monitoring 51
85	85	functions for the program. 52
86	86	(c) The community-based services covered under the program shall 53
87	87	include, but not be limited to, [the following services to the extent that 54
88	88	they are not] services not otherwise available under the state Medicaid 55
89	89	plan: [, occupational] (1) Occupational therapy, (2) homemaker services, 56
90	90	(3) companion services, (4) meals on wheels, (5) adult day care, (6) 57
91	91	transportation, (7) mental health counseling, (8) care management, 58
92	92	[elderly foster care,] (9) adult family living, (10) minor home 59
93	93	modifications, and (11) assisted living services provided in state-funded 60
94	94	congregate housing and in other assisted living pilot or demonstration 61
95	95	projects established under state law. Personal care assistance services 62
96	96	shall be covered under the program to the extent that [(1)] (A) such 63
97	97	services are not available under the Medicaid state plan and are more 64
98	98	cost effective on an individual client basis than existing services covered 65
99	99	under such plan, and [(2)] (B) the provision of such services is approved 66
100	100	by the federal government. A family caregiver, including, but not 67
101	101	limited to, a spouse, may be compensated for personal care assistance 68
102	102	provided to an individual in the program to the extent such 69
103	103	compensation is permissible under federal law, provided such caregiver 70
104	104	meets training and documentation requirements prescribed by the 71
105	105	Commissioner of Social Services. Recipients of state-funded services, 72
106	106	pursuant to subsection (j) of this section, and persons who are 73
107	107	determined to be functionally eligible for community-based services 74
108	108	who have an application for medical assistance pending, or are 75
109	109	determined to be presumptively eligible for Medicaid pursuant to 76
110	110	subsection (e) of this section, shall have the cost of home health and 77
111	111	community-based services covered by the program, provided they 78
112	112	comply with all medical assistance application requirements. Access 79
113	113	agencies shall not use department funds to purchase community-based 80
114	114	services or home health services from themselves or any related parties. 81
115	115	(d) Physicians, hospitals, long-term care facilities and other licensed 82
116	116	health care facilities may disclose, and, as a condition of eligibility for 83 Raised Bill No. 311
117	117
118	118
119	119
120	120	LCO No. 2153 4 of 13
121	121
122	122	the program, elderly persons, their guardians, and relatives shall 84
123	123	disclose, upon request from the Department of Social Services, such 85
124	124	financial, social and medical information as may be necessary to enable 86
125	125	the department or any agency administering the program on behalf of 87
126	126	the department to provide services under the program. Long-term care 88
127	127	facilities shall supply the Department of Social Services with the names 89
128	128	and addresses of all applicants for admission. Any information 90
129	129	provided pursuant to this subsection shall be confidential and shall not 91
130	130	be disclosed by the department or administering agency. 92
131	131	[(e) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the 93
132	132	provisions of chapter 54, to define "access agency", to implement and 94
133	133	administer the program, to establish uniform state-wide standards for 95
134	134	the program and a uniform assessment tool for use in the screening 96
135	135	process and to specify conditions of eligibility.] 97
136	136	(e) Not later than October 1, 2024, the Commissioner of Social 98
137	137	Services shall establish a presumptive Medicaid eligibility system under 99
138	138	which the state shall fund services under the Connecticut home-care 100
139	139	program for the elderly for a period of not longer than ninety days for 101
140	140	applicants who require a skilled level of nursing care and who are 102
141	141	determined to be presumptively eligible for Medicaid coverage. The 103
142	142	system shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) The development of 104
143	143	a preliminary screening tool by the Department of Social Services to be 105
144	144	used by representatives of the access agency selected pursuant to 106
145	145	subsection (b) of this section to determine whether an applicant is 107
146	146	functionally able to live at home or in a community setting and is likely 108
147	147	to be financially eligible for Medicaid; (2) a requirement that the 109
148	148	applicant complete a Medicaid application on the date such applicant is 110
149	149	preliminarily screened for functional eligibility or not later than ten days 111
150	150	after such screening; (3) a determination of presumptive eligibility for 112
151	151	an eligible applicant by the department and initiation of home-care 113
152	152	services not later than ten days after an applicant is successfully 114
153	153	screened for eligibility; and (4) a written agreement to be signed by the 115
154	154	applicant attesting to the accuracy of financial and other information 116
155	155	such applicant provides and acknowledging that the state shall solely 117 Raised Bill No. 311
156	156
157	157
158	158
159	159	LCO No. 2153 5 of 13
160	160
161	161	fund services not longer than ninety days after the date on which home-118
162	162	care services begin. The department shall make a final determination as 119
163	163	to Medicaid eligibility for an applicant determined to be presumptively 120
164	164	eligible for Medicaid coverage not later than forty-five days after the 121
165	165	date of receipt of a completed Medicaid application from such applicant, 122
166	166	provided the department may make such determination not later than 123
167	167	ninety days after receipt of the application if the applicant has 124
168	168	disabilities. 125
169	169	(f) The Commissioner of Social Services shall retroactively provide 126
170	170	Medicaid reimbursement for eligible expenses for a period not to exceed 127
171	171	ninety days prior to a Medicaid application in accordance with 42 CFR 128
172	172	435.915. 129
173	173	[(f)] (g) The commissioner may require long-term care facilities to 130
174	174	inform applicants for admission of the Connecticut home-care program 131
175	175	for the elderly established under this section and to distribute such 132
176	176	forms as the commissioner prescribes for the program. Such forms shall 133
177	177	be supplied by and be returnable to the department. 134
178	178	[(g)] (h) The commissioner shall report annually, by June first, in 135
179	179	accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing 136
180	180	committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 137
181	181	relating to human services on the Connecticut home-care program for 138
182	182	the elderly in such detail, depth and scope as said committee requires to 139
183	183	evaluate the effect of the program on the state and program participants. 140
184	184	Such report shall include information on (1) the number of persons 141
185	185	diverted from placement in a long-term care facility as a result of the 142
186	186	program, (2) the number of persons screened [, (3)] for the program, (3) 143
187	187	the number of persons determined presumptively eligible for Medicaid, 144
188	188	(4) savings for the state based on institutional care costs that were 145
189	189	averted for persons determined to be presumptively eligible for 146
190	190	Medicaid who later were determined to be eligible for Medicaid, (5) the 147
191	191	number of persons determined presumptively eligible for Medicaid 148
192	192	who later were determined not to be eligible for Medicaid and costs to 149
193	193	the state to provide such persons with home-care services before the 150 Raised Bill No. 311
194	194
195	195
196	196
197	197	LCO No. 2153 6 of 13
198	198
199	199	final Medicaid eligibility determination, (6) the average cost per person 151
200	200	in the program, [(4)] (7) the administration costs, [(5)] (8) the estimated 152
201	201	savings to provide home care versus institutional care for all persons in 153
202	202	the program, and [(6)] (9) a comparison between costs under the 154
203	203	different contracts for program services. 155
204	204	[(h)] (i) An individual who is otherwise eligible for services pursuant 156
205	205	to this section shall, as a condition of participation in the program, apply 157
206	206	for medical assistance benefits [pursuant to section 17b-260] when 158
207	207	requested to do so by the department and shall accept such benefits if 159
208	208	determined eligible. 160
209	209	[(i)] (j) (1) The Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available 161
210	210	appropriations, administer a state-funded portion of the Connecticut 162
211	211	home-care program for the elderly for persons (A) who are sixty-five 163
212	212	years of age and older and are not eligible for Medicaid; (B) who are 164
213	213	inappropriately institutionalized or at risk of inappropriate 165
214	214	institutionalization; (C) whose income is less than or equal to the 166
215	215	amount allowed [under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section] 167
216	216	for a person who would be eligible for medical assistance if residing in 168
217	217	a nursing facility; and (D) whose assets, if single, do not exceed [one 169
218	218	hundred fifty per cent of the federal minimum community spouse 170
219	219	protected amount pursuant to 42 USC 1396r-5(f)(2)] fifty-five thousand 171
220	220	dollars or, if married, the couple's assets do not exceed [two hundred 172
221	221	per cent of said community spouse protected amount] seventy thousand 173
222	222	dollars. For program applications received by the Department of Social 174
223	223	Services for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2016, and June 30, 2017, only 175
224	224	persons who require the level of care provided in a nursing home shall 176
225	225	be eligible for the state-funded portion of the program, except for 177
226	226	persons residing in affordable housing under the assisted living 178
227	227	demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e who are 179
228	228	otherwise eligible in accordance with this section. For program 180
229	229	applications received by the department on and after July 1, 2024, the 181
230	230	following categories shall also be eligible: (i) Persons at risk of 182
231	231	hospitalization or nursing facility placement if preventive home-care 183
232	232	services are not provided and who need assistance with not more than 184 Raised Bill No. 311
233	233
234	234
235	235
236	236	LCO No. 2153 7 of 13
237	237
238	238	two critical needs, and (ii) persons with three or more critical needs who 185
239	239	would require nursing facility care but are either not actively 186
240	240	considering it or have resources which would prohibit them from 187
241	241	qualifying for Medicaid upon admission to a nursing facility. For 188
242	242	purposes of this subdivision, "critical needs" means activities of daily 189
243	243	living that are hands-on activities or tasks that are essential for a 190
244	244	person's health and safety, including, but not limited to, bathing, 191
245	245	dressing, transferring from a seated position to an upright position or 192
246	246	from an upright position to a seated position, toileting, feeding, meal 193
247	247	preparation, administration of medication or ambulation. 194
248	248	(2) Except for persons residing in affordable housing under the 195
249	249	assisted living demonstration project established pursuant to section 196
250	250	17b-347e, as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, any person 197
251	251	whose income is at or below two hundred per cent of the federal poverty 198
252	252	level and who is ineligible for Medicaid shall contribute [three] two per 199
253	253	cent of the cost of his or her care. Any person whose income exceeds two 200
254	254	hundred per cent of the federal poverty level shall contribute [three] two 201
255	255	per cent of the cost of his or her care in addition to the amount of applied 202
256	256	income determined in accordance with the methodology established by 203
257	257	the Department of Social Services for recipients of medical assistance. 204
258	258	Any person who does not contribute to the cost of care in accordance 205
259	259	with this subdivision shall be ineligible to receive services under this 206
260	260	subsection. Notwithstanding any provision of sections 17b-60 and 17b-207
261	261	61, the department shall not be required to provide an administrative 208
262	262	hearing to a person found ineligible for services under this subsection 209
263	263	because of a failure to contribute to the cost of care. 210
264	264	(3) Any person who resides in affordable housing under the assisted 211
265	265	living demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e 212
266	266	and whose income is at or below two hundred per cent of the federal 213
267	267	poverty level, shall not be required to contribute to the cost of care. Any 214
268	268	person who resides in affordable housing under the assisted living 215
269	269	demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e and 216
270	270	whose income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty 217
271	271	level, shall contribute to the applied income amount determined in 218 Raised Bill No. 311
272	272
273	273
274	274
275	275	LCO No. 2153 8 of 13
276	276
277	277	accordance with the methodology established by the Department of 219
278	278	Social Services for recipients of medical assistance. Any person whose 220
279	279	income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level and 221
280	280	who does not contribute to the cost of care in accordance with this 222
281	281	subdivision shall be ineligible to receive services under this subsection. 223
282	282	Notwithstanding any provision of sections 17b-60 and 17b-61, the 224
283	283	department shall not be required to provide an administrative hearing 225
284	284	to a person found ineligible for services under this subsection because 226
285	285	of a failure to contribute to the cost of care. 227
286	286	(4) The annualized cost of services provided to an individual under 228
287	287	the state-funded portion of the program shall not exceed fifty per cent 229
288	288	of the weighted average cost of care in nursing homes in the state, except 230
289	289	an individual who received services costing in excess of such amount 231
290	290	under the Department of Social Services in the fiscal year ending June 232
291	291	30, 1992, may continue to receive such services, provided the annualized 233
292	292	cost of such services does not exceed eighty per cent of the weighted 234
293	293	average cost of such nursing home care. The commissioner may allow 235
294	294	the cost of services provided to an individual to exceed the maximum 236
295	295	cost established pursuant to this subdivision in a case of extreme 237
296	296	hardship, as determined by the commissioner, provided in no case shall 238
297	297	such cost exceed that of the weighted cost of such nursing home care. 239
298	298	(5) A family caregiver, including, but not limited to, a spouse, may be 240
299	299	compensated for personal care assistance provided to an individual in 241
300	300	the program provided such caregiver meets training and 242
301	301	documentation requirements prescribed by the Commissioner of Social 243
302	302	Services. 244
303	303	[(j)] (k) The Commissioner of Social Services shall collect data on 245
304	304	services provided under the program, including, but not limited to, the: 246
305	305	(1) Number of participants before and after copayments are reduced 247
306	306	pursuant to subsection [(i)] (j) of this section, (2) average hours of care 248
307	307	provided under the program per participant, and (3) estimated cost 249
308	308	savings to the state by providing home care to participants who may 250
309	309	otherwise receive care in a nursing home facility. The commissioner 251 Raised Bill No. 311
310	310
311	311
312	312
313	313	LCO No. 2153 9 of 13
314	314
315	315	shall, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, report on the 252
316	316	results of the data collection to the joint standing committees of the 253
317	317	General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging, 254
318	318	appropriations and the budgets of state agencies and human services 255
319	319	not later than July 1, 2022. The commissioner may implement revised 256
320	320	criteria for the operation of the program while in the process of adopting 257
321	321	such criteria in regulation form, provided the commissioner publishes 258
322	322	notice of intention to adopt the regulations in accordance with section 259
323	323	17b-10. Such criteria shall be valid until the time final regulations are 260
324	324	effective. 261
325	325	[(k)] (l) The commissioner shall notify any access agency or area 262
326	326	agency on aging that administers the program when the department 263
327	327	sends a redetermination of eligibility form to an individual who is a 264
328	328	client of such agency. 265
329	329	[(l)] (m) In determining eligibility for the program described in this 266
330	330	section, the commissioner shall not consider as income (1) Aid and 267
331	331	Attendance pension benefits granted to a veteran, as defined in section 268
332	332	27-103, or the surviving spouse of such veteran, and (2) any tax refund 269
333	333	or advance payment with respect to a refundable credit to the same 270
334	334	extent such refund or advance payment would be disregarded under 26 271
335	335	USC 6409 in any federal program or state or local program financed in 272
336	336	whole or in part with federal funds. 273
337	337	(n) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the 274
338	338	provisions of chapter 54, to (1) define "access agency", (2) implement and 275
339	339	administer the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly, (3) 276
340	340	implement and administer the presumptive Medicaid eligibility system 277
341	341	described in subsection (e) of this section, (4) establish uniform state-278
342	342	wide standards for the program and uniform assessment tools for use 279
343	343	in the screening process for the program and the prescreening for 280
344	344	presumptive Medicaid eligibility, and (5) specify conditions of 281
345	345	eligibility. 282
346	346	Sec. 2. Subsection (a) of section 17b-253 of the general statutes is 283 Raised Bill No. 311
347	347
348	348
349	349
350	350	LCO No. 2153 10 of 13
351	351
352	352	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 284
353	353	2024): 285
354	354	(a) The Department of Social Services shall seek appropriate 286
355	355	amendments to its Medicaid regulations and state plan to allow 287
356	356	protection of resources and income pursuant to section 17b-252. Such 288
357	357	protection shall be provided, to the extent approved by the federal 289
358	358	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, for any purchaser of a 290
359	359	precertified long-term care policy and shall last for the life of the 291
360	360	purchaser. Such protection shall be provided under the Medicaid 292
361	361	program or its successor program. Any purchaser of a precertified long-293
362	362	term care policy shall be guaranteed coverage under the Medicaid 294
363	363	program or its successor program, to the extent the individual meets all 295
364	364	applicable eligibility requirements for the Medicaid program or its 296
365	365	successor program. Until such time as eligibility requirements are 297
366	366	prescribed for Medicaid's successor program, for the purposes of this 298
367	367	subsection, the applicable eligibility requirements shall be the Medicaid 299
368	368	program's requirements as of the date its successor program was 300
369	369	enacted. The Department of Social Services shall count insurance benefit 301
370	370	payments toward resource exclusion to the extent such payments (1) are 302
371	371	for services paid for by a precertified long-term care policy; (2) are for 303
372	372	the lower of the actual charge and the amount paid by the insurance 304
373	373	company; (3) are for nursing home care, or formal services delivered to 305
374	374	insureds in the community as part of a care plan approved by an access 306
375	375	agency approved by the Office of Policy and Management and the 307
376	376	Department of Social Services as meeting the requirements for such 308
377	377	agency as defined in regulations adopted pursuant to [subsection (e) of] 309
378	378	section 17b-342, as amended by this act; and (4) are for services provided 310
379	379	after the individual meets the coverage requirements for long-term care 311
380	380	benefits established by the Department of Social Services for this 312
381	381	program. The Commissioner of Social Services shall adopt regulations, 313
382	382	in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this 314
383	383	subsection and sections 17b-252, 17b-254 and 38a-475, as amended by 315
384	384	this act, relating to determining eligibility of applicants for Medicaid, or 316
385	385	its successor program, and the coverage requirements for long-term care 317 Raised Bill No. 311
386	386
387	387
388	388
389	389	LCO No. 2153 11 of 13
390	390
391	391	benefits. 318
392	392	Sec. 3. Subdivision (1) of subsection (e) of section 17b-354 of the 319
393	393	general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 320
394	394	thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 321
395	395	(e) (1) A continuing care facility, as described in section 17b-520, (A) 322
396	396	shall arrange for a medical assessment to be conducted by an 323
397	397	independent physician or an access agency approved by the Office of 324
398	398	Policy and Management and the Department of Social Services as 325
399	399	meeting the requirements for such agency as defined by regulations 326
400	400	adopted pursuant to [subsection (e) of] section 17b-342, as amended by 327
401	401	this act, prior to the admission of any resident to the nursing facility and 328
402	402	shall document such assessment in the resident's medical file and (B) 329
403	403	may transfer or discharge a resident who has intentionally transferred 330
404	404	assets in a sum which will render the resident unable to pay the cost of 331
405	405	nursing facility care in accordance with the contract between the 332
406	406	resident and the facility. 333
407	407	Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 17b-617 of the general statutes is 334
408	408	repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 335
409	409	2024): 336
410	410	(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available 337
411	411	appropriations, establish and operate a state-funded pilot program to 338
412	412	allow not more than one hundred persons with disabilities (1) who are 339
413	413	age eighteen to sixty-four, inclusive, (2) who are inappropriately 340
414	414	institutionalized or at risk of inappropriate institutionalization, (3) 341
415	415	whose assets do not exceed the asset limits of the state-funded home 342
416	416	care program for the elderly, established pursuant to subsection [(i)] (j) 343
417	417	of section 17b-342, as amended by this act, and (4) who are not eligible 344
418	418	for medical assistance under section 17b-261 or a Medicaid waiver 345
419	419	pursuant to 42 USC 1396n, to be eligible to receive the same services that 346
420	420	are provided under the state-funded home care program for the elderly. 347
421	421	At the discretion of the Commissioner of Social Services, such persons 348
422	422	may also be eligible to receive services that are necessary to meet needs 349 Raised Bill No. 311
423	423
424	424
425	425
426	426	LCO No. 2153 12 of 13
427	427
428	428	attributable to disabilities in order to allow such persons to avoid 350
429	429	institutionalization. 351
430	430	Sec. 5. Section 38a-475 of the general statutes is repealed and the 352
431	431	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2024): 353
432	432	The Insurance Department shall only precertify long-term care 354
433	433	insurance policies that (1) alert the purchaser to the availability of 355
434	434	consumer information and public education provided by the 356
435	435	Department of Aging and Disability Services pursuant to section 17a-357
436	436	861; (2) offer the option of home and community-based services in 358
437	437	addition to nursing home care; (3) in all home care plans, include case 359
438	438	management services delivered by an access agency approved by the 360
439	439	Office of Policy and Management and the Department of Social Services 361
440	440	as meeting the requirements for such agency as defined in regulations 362
441	441	adopted pursuant to [subsection (e) of] section 17b-342, as amended by 363
442	442	this act, which services shall include, but need not be limited to, the 364
443	443	development of a comprehensive individualized assessment and care 365
444	444	plan and, as needed, the coordination of appropriate services and the 366
445	445	monitoring of the delivery of such services; (4) provide inflation 367
446	446	protection; (5) provide for the keeping of records and an explanation of 368
447	447	benefit reports on insurance payments which count toward Medicaid 369
448	448	resource exclusion; and (6) provide the management information and 370
449	449	reports necessary to document the extent of Medicaid resource 371
450	450	protection offered and to evaluate the Connecticut Partnership for 372
451	451	Long-Term Care. No policy shall be precertified if it requires prior 373
452	452	hospitalization or a prior stay in a nursing home as a condition of 374
453	453	providing benefits. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in 375
454	454	accordance with chapter 54, to carry out the precertification provisions 376
455	455	of this section. 377
456	456	This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
457	457	sections:
458	458
459	459	Section 1 July 1, 2024 17b-342
460	460	Sec. 2 July 1, 2024 17b-253(a)
461	461	Sec. 3 July 1, 2024 17b-354(e)(1) Raised Bill No. 311
462	462
463	463
464	464
465	465	LCO No. 2153 13 of 13
466	466
467	467	Sec. 4 July 1, 2024 17b-617(a)
468	468	Sec. 5 July 1, 2024 38a-475
469	469
470	470	Statement of Purpose:
471	471	To expand access to the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly
472	472	by establishing presumptive eligibility for Medicaid-funded services,
473	473	reducing copayments, increasing asset limits, and expanding categories
474	474	of persons who may be covered under the state-funded program and to
475	475	authorize compensation for family caregivers.
476	476	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
477	477	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
478	478	underlined.]
479	479