Budget Amendment ID: FY2019-S4-643

EHS 643

Nursing Home Resident Protection

Messrs. Montigny, Rush, Eldridge and Rodrigues, Ms. Jehlen, Messrs. Moore, Keenan and Timilty, Ms. L'Italien, Mr. Tarr, Ms. Gobi and Mr. O'Connor moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, in item 4000-0601, by adding at the end thereof the following:-

“provided further, that MassHealth shall reimburse nursing home facilities for up to 20 medical leave-of-absence days and shall reimburse the facilities for up to 10 nonmedical leave of absence days; provided further, that medical leave-of-absence days shall include an observation stay in a hospital in excess of 24 hours; provided further, that not later than January 1, 2019, MassHealth shall report to the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means the following for fiscal year 2018: (a) the number of nursing facility clients on a leave of absence, delineated by the nursing facility, by medical leave-of-absence days and medical leave-of-absence days that exceeded 10 days per hospital stay, nonmedical leave-of-absence days and the total number of days on leave of absence unduplicated member count; (b) licensed beds monthly capacity levels per nursing home and the monthly total number of empty beds per nursing facility, total number of all nursing home residents and total MassHealth nursing home residents; (c) 6 separate MassHealth payment rates and the average payment amount rate per nursing facility client resident; (d) the actual number of nursing home residents for each of the 6 payment categories in clause (c); (e) the aggregate payment amount per nursing facility by month; and (f) all reports shall delineate by nursing home, including grand totals where appropriate; and provided further, that no nursing home shall reassign a patient's bed during a leave of absence that is eligible for reimbursement under this item.”