SB 5579-S - DIGEST

(DIGEST AS ENACTED)

Finds that licensed boarding homes are an essential component of home and community-based services, and that the noninstitutional nature of this care setting must be preserved and protected by ensuring a regulatory structure that focuses on the actual care and services provided to residents, consumer satisfaction, and continuous quality improvement.

Finds that residents and consumers of services in licensed boarding homes should be encouraged to exercise maximum independence, and that the state's rules for licensed boarding homes must also be designed to encourage individual dignity, autonomy, and choice.

Finds that consumers should be afforded access to affordable long-term care services in licensed boarding homes, and believes that care delivery must remain responsive to consumer preferences. Residents and consumers in licensed boarding homes should be afforded the right to self-direct care, and this right should be reflected in the rules governing licensed boarding homes.

Provides that, by December 12, 2004, the department shall report on the payment system for licensed boarding homes to the chairs of the health care committees of both houses of the legislature. The department shall include in the report its findings regarding the validity of the comprehensive assessment tool for categorizing residents into meaningful care and payment groups; its findings regarding the actual costs of providing care and services in each of the care payment levels; and its findings regarding the rates of payment, by level, that are necessary and reasonably related to the costs of providing care and services to medicaid residents.

Directs the department to by December 12, 2003, report to the chairs of the health care committees of both houses of the legislature, the results of the dementia care pilot program, including a report on the dementia care standards, the benefits of the dementia care program to residents, and the actual costs of providing dementia care and services to residents under the dementia care pilot program.

Provides that, within existing funds, the department may implement a two-year statewide informal dispute resolution pilot program in order to determine the efficiencies and effectiveness of a centralized informal dispute resolution program. The provider must be allowed to appear at informal dispute resolution meetings either in person or by telephone. The department shall provide an opportunity for input from a resident or a resident representative.

Provides that, when a boarding home contracts with the department to provide adult residential care services, enhanced adult residential care services, or assisted living services under chapter 74.39A RCW, the boarding home must hold a medicaid eligible resident's room or unit when short-term care is needed in a nursing home or hospital, the resident is likely to return to the boarding home, and payment is made under this act.

Provides that the medicaid resident's bed or unit shall be held for up to twenty days.

Authorizes the boarding home to seek third-party payment to hold a bed or unit for twenty-one days or longer. The third-party payment shall not exceed eighty-five percent of the average daily rate paid to the facility. If third-party payment is not available, the medicaid resident may return to the first available and appropriate bed or unit, if the resident continues to meet the admission criteria under chapter 18.20 RCW.

Directs the department to monitor the use and impact of the policy established under this act and shall report its findings to the appropriate committees of the senate and house of representatives by December 31, 2005.

Expires June 30, 2006.