HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3305        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1967

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sean Garballey

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to standardize the regulation of skilled nursing facilities.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/18/2013

Carlo Basile

1st Suffolk

 

Ruth B. Balser

12th Middlesex

 

Carlos Henriquez

5th Suffolk

 

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

34th Middlesex

 

Benjamin Swan

11th Hampden

 

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

 

Christine E. Canavan

10th Plymouth

 

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

 

Frank I. Smizik

15th Norfolk

 

Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera

10th Hampden

 

Michael D. Brady

9th Plymouth

 

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

 

Jeffrey N. Roy

10th Norfolk

 

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

 

Denise Andrews

2nd Franklin

 

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

 

Frank A. Moran

17th Essex

 

Thomas P. Conroy

13th Middlesex

 

Jay R. Kaufman

15th Middlesex

 

Barry R. Finegold

Second Essex and Middlesex

 

Robert F. Fennell

10th Essex

 

Theodore C. Speliotis

13th Essex

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3305        FILED ON: 1/18/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1967

By Mr. Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1967) of Sean Garballey and others that the Department of Public Health be directed to establish a formal public hearing process prior to certain licensing and ownership of nursing home facilities decisions.  Public Health.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act to standardize the regulation of skilled nursing facilities.

 

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:  The Department of Public Health shall amend the Licensure Procedure and Suitability Requirements for Long-Term Care Facilities in Massachusetts regulations (105 CMR 153).  Such amendment shall establish a formal and open public hearing process that would precede approval of and allow for public input on any application for a license, notice of intent for transfer of ownership or notice of intent to sell or close any skilled nursing facility whether for-profit or non-profit.

SECTION 2:  The Department of Public Health, the Center for Health Information & Analysis, the Office of Elder Affairs, the Office of Medicaid and the Office of the Attorney General shall work together with all interested stakeholders to review and develop policy recommendations for improvements to the licensing of long term care facilities in the Commonwealth (105 CMR 150; 105 CMR 153), regulations concerning standard payments and cost reporting by nursing facilities (114.2 CMR 600) and the requirements for the provision of nursing-facility services under MassHealth (130 CMR 456).  Such recommendations shall include proposed amendments to these regulations to:

a)Provide more transparent, timely and complete public access to information concerning skilled nursing facility licensing, reimbursement and quality care standards; and

b)Improve the regulation and public reporting of information concerning transfers of licenses for, new ownership of, and the closure of skilled nursing facility licenses; and

c)Otherwise enhance the regulation of skilled nursing facilities in the Commonwealth.