SB 1670 Summary: Medically Complex Children

• Establishes a Department of Children and Families program to provide family-centered services and supports for medically complex children, including care coordination, respite care, and direct home care to prevent abuse and neglect.

• Defines "medical neglect" as failure to provide needed care recommended by a health care practitioner, with exceptions when parents made reasonable attempts to obtain care or recommended treatment offers limited benefit with greater morbidity than anticipated benefit.

• Requires investigations of medical neglect reports to be conducted by staff with specialized training and to use a family-centered approach; mandates child protection teams evaluating medical neglect cases to consult with a physician experienced in treating children with the same condition.

• Authorizes the Department of Children and Families to place children in medical foster homes and requires coordination with the Department of Health and Agency for Health Care Administration to provide home and community-based services for medically complex children in the least restrictive environment.

• Requires Medicaid managed care plans serving children in DCF custody to maintain and provide complete medical, dental, and behavioral health information to the state's child welfare data system for compliance monitoring.