HB 5476 Summary

• Establishes a two-year, state-funded pilot program allowing up to ten ventilator-dependent Medicaid recipients in Fairfield County to directly hire registered nurses and respiratory therapists for home care, effective October 1, 2012

• Requires annual screening of participants by the Department of Social Services and mandates written certification that participants assume responsibility for their care plan, which must be physician-directed and department-approved

• Sets maximum reimbursement rates for services, with registered nurse rates at no less than 80 percent of prevailing rates paid to home health care agencies for comparable care

• Requires hired nurses and respiratory therapists to undergo criminal background checks and provide at least two weeks written notice before terminating care, except in emergencies

• Mandates the Commissioner of Social Services submit a report by January 1, 2015 evaluating the pilot program's cost-effectiveness and continuity of care, and conduct a survey by July 1, 2013 of Medicaid recipients receiving continuous skilled home care regarding care terminations and satisfaction