HB 739 Summary

• Revises home health agency definitions and requirements, including new definition of "primary home health agency" responsible for coordinating all services and plan of care implementation.

• Establishes requirements for home health agency administrators and directors of nursing, including alternate administrator qualifications, specific duties, and availability standards during operating hours.

• Requires written contracts between home health agencies and hourly/per-visit personnel specifying services, agency policies, payment procedures, and coordination of care; permits contracted services with specific monitoring and supervisory responsibilities.

• Expands patient rights protections in home health settings, including written notice of rights, grievance procedures, participation in treatment planning, and supervisory visit requirements for home health aides.

• Modifies fee adjustment methodology for health care facility licenses to allow annual increases of up to 10 percent above Consumer Price Index changes and updates firesafety standards for assisted living facilities to current NFPA 101 standards effective January 1, 2011.