Substitute Senate Bill No. 984
          Substitute Senate Bill No. 984

              PUBLIC ACT NO. 97-142


AN  ACT CONCERNING  A  DEMONSTRATION  PROJECT  FOR
LONG-TERM CARE.


    Be it enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of
Representatives in General Assembly convened:
    (NEW)  (a)  For   purposes  of  this  section,
"specialized long-term care"  means goal-oriented,
comprehensive,  inpatient  care   designed  for  a
patient  with  an   acute   illness,   injury   or
exacerbation of a  disease  process. Most patients
receiving   such   care    shall    not    require
high-technology monitoring or  complex  diagnostic
procedures.  Such  care  requires  a  specifically
designed program of  coordinated  services  of  an
interdisciplinary team, including, but not limited
to, physicians, nurses  and professionals in other
relevant disciplines.
    (b)  Notwithstanding  any   provision  of  the
general statutes or the regulations of Connecticut
state agencies, the  Department of Social Services
shall  establish  a  demonstration  project  which
shall  provide  specialized   long-term  care  for
chronically disabled and  dependent  patients with
traumatic head, brain or spinal cord injuries, who
are  ventilator  dependent,   or   suffer   severe
neurological dysfunction and  disorders, including
multiple sclerosis, cerebral  palsy and such other
similar   chronic  medical   conditions   as   the
Commissioner of Social Services deems appropriate.
    (c)  Said  demonstration   project   shall  be
conducted  in  no   more   than   two  facilities,
involving up to sixty existing licensed beds, that
are specifically equipped  and  staffed  for  such
purpose.   Said   demonstration    project   shall
supplement a facility's  scope of services and, if
necessary,  modify  its  physical  environment  to
improve access for  patients with specific chronic
medical conditions, provide  care  that meets such
patient's   specialized   health,    social    and
environmental   needs,   particularly   those   of
children  and  young   adults,  and  evaluate  the
optimum design for such programs.
    (d) Said demonstration project shall establish
rates based on costs related to patient care. Said
demonstration project shall  be  designed for this
specific   patient  population   and   shall   not
necessarily require separate facilities or special
units.
    (e) Said demonstration  project  shall address
the different needs  of (1) a child or young adult
with specific chronic  medical conditions, and (2)
an elderly patient  in  either  a  hospital  or  a
skilled nursing home.
    (f) Said demonstration  project shall restrict
direct patient ventilator  care  to  appropriately
licensed health care providers.
    (g) The commissioner shall issue a request for
proposals  for  acute   care   hospitals,  chronic
disease  hospitals  and   skilled   nursing  homes
interested in participating  in said demonstration
project.  Proposals  shall   identify:   (1)   The
population to be served; (2) the specific services
to be provided and budgeted for; (3) the number of
existing licensed beds  to  be designated for said
demonstration  project;  and  (4)  the  evaluation
process   of  said   demonstration   project.   In
approving   said   demonstration    project,   the
commissioner  shall  consider,   to   the   extent
possible, geographic distribution.

Approved June 13, 1997