HB 5301 Summary

• Revises nursing home minimum staffing requirements to establish a combined average of 3.9 hours per resident per day for certified nursing assistants and licensed nurses, with flexibility in how facilities meet these standards.

• Modifies the nursing home lease bond alternative fee program, allowing collection to continue until cumulative fees reach $25 million, at which point the fee requirement ceases for the subsequent fiscal year.

• Extends expiration dates for two Medicaid waiver programs from December 31, 2010 to June 30, 2011 for persons age 65 and older or with disabilities, and the medically needy program.

• Authorizes the Agency for Health Care Administration to enroll Medicare crossover-only providers and implement hospital readmission reduction programs, with penalties for providers failing to report Medicare suspension or disenrollment within 5 business days.

• Establishes Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly sites in Polk, Highlands, Hardee, and Hillsborough Counties (150 enrollees) and Southwest Miami-Dade County (50 enrollees), with exemptions from insurance code requirements.