SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2393        FILED ON: 1/28/2010

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2256

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Ten

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An Act relative to reserving beds in nursing homes during certain leaves of absence..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 14A of chapter 118E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraphs:

In the event that a nursing facility resident who is a MassHealth recipient enters a hospital, the division shall pay to preserve his or her bed in the nursing facility for a period of up to 10 days. The division shall reimburse the nursing facility for the medical leave of absence, which shall include an observation stay in a hospital in excess of 24 hours.

In the event a MassHealth member is residing in a nursing facility and requests a nonmedical leave of absence to move to a less restrictive environment, the division shall pay to preserve his or her bed in the facility for a period of up to 15 days. For any other nonmedical leave of absence, the facility shall preserve the bed for a period of up to 10 days.