Two bills signed into law Tuesday address the state of assisted living in Connecticut, including improving transparency, which the senior living industry said will help the state become a “better place to grow old.”
Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed Public Acts 24-39 and 24-141 into law, addressing some issues raised by advocates for older adults.
Matthew Barnett, president and CEO of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities, told McKnight’s Senior Living that the legislation includes “important enhanced consumer notice and disclosure requirements” supported by CAHCF.
The bills touch on many elements of aging services, according to LeadingAge Connecticut, including providing timely information to assisted living residents and providing helpful information to consumers on several aspects of long-term care and long-term services and supports. President Mag Morelli called them “two important pieces of legislation that will help to make Connecticut a better place to grow old.”
HB 5046, or Public Act 24-141, requires more transparent disclosures of fee increases in assisted living and managed residential care communities, as well as changes to how frequently those fees can be increased. The bill also requires a provider to make a partial refund of fees to a resident if a community determines that it can’t meet his or her needs during the first 45 days of occupancy.
“While we are fortunate to live in a state that has so many high-quality providers of aging services — and with a state government and Medicaid program that supports the full continuum of long-term services and supports — there is always more to be done, and we appreciate the collaborative approach to expand the possibilities of what it can mean it grow older in the state of Connecticut,” Morelli said, adding that LeadingAge Connecticut worked with lawmakers, advocates for older adults and other senior living associations on the issues.
The bills also provide easier access to the pre-employment screening requirements for new hires, ensure proper identification of homecare employees and establish a nursing home center of excellence program, according to the provider advocates.
The Connecticut Assisted Living Association participated in a workgroup headed by the Connecticut Long-Term Care Ombudsman to study and suggest potential language for enhanced disclosures pertaining to the assisted living managed residential community — the building where residents live — and assisted living service agency — the licensed agency providing assisted living healthcare services.
CALA President Christopher Carter told McKnight’s Senior Living that the result was passage of House Bill 5001 and HB 5046, which became Public Acts 24-39 and 24-141, respectively.
“CALA looks forward to collaborating with the Connecticut Long-Term Care Ombudsman to produce an assisted living managed residential community consumer guide, which provides consumers with important information around valuable protections and resident rights,” Carter said.
Medicare biomarker coverage enshrined in law
Lamont also signed SB 307 into law, requiring the state Medicaid program to cover biomarker testing for the diagnosis, treatment and management or ongoing monitoring of Medicaid enrollees’ diseases and conditions.
Biomarker testing analyzes blood or tissue for biomarkers to provide insight into effective treatments for disease. Testing most commonly is used for cancer and autoimmune diseases, but research is looking to biomarker testing to help treat other conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease.
The law provides access to biomarker testing for underrepresented groups, including older adults, Black people, uninsured individuals and Medicaid beneficiaries.
In testimony on the bill, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network called biomarker testing an important step to accessing precision medicine, which includes targeted therapies that can lead to improved survivorship and better quality of life for cancer patients.
Source: McKnights Seniorliving