Sec. 17b-364. Demonstration program for providing specialized long-term care. Requests for proposals.
Sec. 17b-364. Demonstration program for providing specialized long-term
care. Requests for proposals. (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 three facilities,
involving up to seventy-five 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.
(h) The commissioner may increase the number of facilities participating in the
demonstration project from three to four on or after January 1, 2000. The commissioner
may issue a request for proposals or select from respondents to a request for proposals
issued to select the initial three demonstration project facilities.
(P.A. 97-142; June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2, S. 150, 165; P.A. 99-279, S. 24, 45.)
History: June 18 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-2 amended Subsec. (c) by expanding the demonstration project from 2 to 3 facilities,
effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 99-279 amended Subsec. (c) to increase the number of licensed beds from 60 to 75 and added
a new Subsec. (h) allowing the commissioner to increase the number of facilities participating in the demonstration project
from 3 to 4 on or after January 1, 2000, and to issue a request for proposals or select from respondents to a request for
proposals to select the initial three facilities, effective July 1, 1999.