HCSHB390--LONG-TERMCAREFACILITIES
SPONSOR: Amato
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonHealthandMentalHealthbyavoteof13to0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
390.
Thisbillrequiresreferralagencies,individualsorentitiesthat
providereferralstofacilitiesforfeesthatarecollectedfrom
eithertheprospectiveresidentorthefacility,todiscloseto
prospectiveresidentsortheirrepresentative:
(1)Writtenorelectronicdocumentationoftheexistenceofany
relationshipsbetweenthereferralagencyandthefacility,as
specifiedinthebill;
(2)Thatthereferralagencyreceivesafeefromthefacilityfor
thereferral;and
(3)Writtendocumentationoftheagreementbetweenthereferral
agencyandtheprospectiveresidentorrepresentative thereof,with
requirementstobeincludedfortheagreementthatarespecifiedin
thebill.
Thefacilityis:
(1)Prohibitedfrompayingfeestothereferralagencyunless
certainconditionsaremet,asspecifiedinthebill;
(2)Requiredtomaintainawrittenorelectroniccopyofthe
aforementioned agreementbetweenthereferralagencyandthe
prospectiveresidentorresident'srepresentative; and
(3)Prohibitedfromsellingortransferringcontactinformationof
theprospectiveresidentortheresident'srepresentative toa
thirdpartywithoutobtainingwrittenconsentoftheresidentor
representative.
Anyreferralagencythatviolatesthissectionissubjecttoa
civilpenaltyofupto$500perviolation,andtheAttorneyGeneral
oracircuitattorneycanbringacivilactiononbehalfofthe
Statetoseektheimpositionofacivilpenaltyfortheviolation
oftheprovisionsofthisbill.
ThisbillissimilartoHCSHB1733(2024). Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatitisimportanttoreducetherisk
forexploitationofelderlypersons,whomaynotknowtheyare
signingupforacontractwithafacilitythatmayormaynothave
poorstandardsorotherdeficiencies. Thisisabasicstepto
improvetransparency.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Amato;Jorgen
Schlemeier,MissouriAssistedLivingAssociation;JeffBalleau,
TransitionsForSeniorLiving;ArnieDienoff;MissouriHealthCare
Association.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythattheseagencies
providecaregiversandagingadultswithinformation,resources,
andreferralstofacilitiesthatarebasedontheneedsofthe
personandhisorherbudget.Theseagenciesofferinformation
including,butnotlimitedto,thecosts,thetypesofcare,
whetherbenefitsforpersonssuchasveteransexist,andreviews.
Noneoftheinformationprovided,oranyotherpartoftheir
websites,requiresthesigningofacontract.
TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereBeverlyGrossman,A
PlaceForMom;andCaring.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.