LA SB273

Enacts R.S. 40:2009.26 to establish patient protections for hospice patients receiving care in non-hospice facilities such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and residential care settings

Requires facilities to maintain a written care plan for each hospice patient identifying the hospice provider, which provider controls medical orders, who is responsible for daily care, and a designated family contact point

Mandates that when hospice patients are transferred between facilities, the transferring facility must immediately notify the hospice provider and family, and the receiving facility must develop a new care plan within 6 hours

Requires facilities to maintain detailed logs of food and fluid offers, patient acceptance or refusal, and clinical justification for any withholding of hydration or nutrition from hospice patients

Prohibits facilities from retaliating against or restricting family access due to raised care concerns, and authorizes the Louisiana Department of Health to conduct complaint surveys and assess administrative penalties for violations

Effective August 1, 2026