SECTION 1. Section 51 D of chapter 111 of the general laws as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended, by inserting after item 7 of the requirements for a discharge plan, the following:

No person shall be discharged from an acute care facility licensed pursuant to this chapter without a review of post-acute care options presented in writing to the patient or the patient’s representative, not less than twenty-four hours prior to discharge Said review of post-acute care options shall give the highest priority to returning the patient to his or her residence or community of record, with appropriate service, if needed. In any case, where it is not deemed possible, a responsible official of the acute care facility shall provide a written explanation and certify said explanation as true and correct, pursuant to the provisions of section 5A of chapter 12 of the general laws.

SECTION 2. Said section 51, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “Medicare,” wherever it appears, the following: “MassHealth, or private commercial insurance licensed in Massachusetts.”