Section 144A.44 Home Care Bill of Rights
144A.44 HOME CARE BILL OF RIGHTS.
Subdivision 1.Statement of rights.
A person who receives home care services has these rights:
(1) the right to receive written information about rights in advance of receiving care or during the initial evaluation visit before the initiation of treatment, including what to do if rights are violated;
(2) the right to receive care and services according to a suitable and up-to-date plan, and subject to accepted medical or nursing standards, to take an active part in creating and changing the plan and evaluating care and services;
(3) the right to be told in advance of receiving care about the services that will be provided, the disciplines that will furnish care, the frequency of visits proposed to be furnished, other choices that are available, and the consequences of these choices including the consequences of refusing these services;
(4) the right to be told in advance of any change in the plan of care and to take an active part in any change;
(5) the right to refuse services or treatment;
(6) the right to know, in advance, any limits to the services available from a provider, and the provider's grounds for a termination of services;
(7) the right to know in advance of receiving care whether the services are covered by health insurance, medical assistance, or other health programs, the charges for services that will not be covered by Medicare, and the charges that the individual may have to pay;
(8) the right to know what the charges are for services, no matter who will be paying the bill;
(9) the right to know that there may be other services available in the community, including other home care services and providers, and to know where to go for information about these services;
(10) the right to choose freely among available providers and to change providers after services have begun, within the limits of health insurance, medical assistance, or other health programs;
(11) the right to have personal, financial, and medical information kept private, and to be advised of the provider's policies and procedures regarding disclosure of such information;
(12) the right to be allowed access to records and written information from records in accordance with sections 144.291 to 144.298;
(13) the right to be served by people who are properly trained and competent to perform their duties;
(14) the right to be treated with courtesy and respect, and to have the patient's property treated with respect;
(15) the right to be free from physical and verbal abuse;
(16) the right to reasonable, advance notice of changes in services or charges, including at least ten days' advance notice of the termination of a service by a provider, except in cases where:
(i) the recipient of services engages in conduct that alters the conditions of employment as specified in the employment contract between the home care provider and the individual providing home care services, or creates an abusive or unsafe work environment for the individual providing home care services; or
(ii) an emergency for the informal caregiver or a significant change in the recipient's condition has resulted in service needs that exceed the current service provider agreement and that cannot be safely met by the home care provider;
(17) the right to a coordinated transfer when there will be a change in the provider of services;
(18) the right to voice grievances regarding treatment or care that is, or fails to be, furnished, or regarding the lack of courtesy or respect to the patient or the patient's property;
(19) the right to know how to contact an individual associated with the provider who is responsible for handling problems and to have the provider investigate and attempt to resolve the grievance or complaint;
(20) the right to know the name and address of the state or county agency to contact for additional information or assistance; and
(21) the right to assert these rights personally, or have them asserted by the patient's family or guardian when the patient has been judged incompetent, without retaliation.
Subd. 2.Interpretation and enforcement of rights.
These rights are established for the benefit of persons who receive home care services. "Home care services" means home care services as defined in section 144A.43, subdivision 3, and unlicensed personal care assistance services, including services covered by medical assistance under section 256B.0625, subdivision 19a. A home care provider may not require a person to surrender these rights as a condition of receiving services. A guardian or conservator or, when there is no guardian or conservator, a designated person, may seek to enforce these rights. This statement of rights does not replace or diminish other rights and liberties that may exist relative to persons receiving home care services, persons providing home care services, or providers licensed under Laws 1987, chapter 378. A copy of these rights must be provided to an individual at the time home care services, including personal care assistance services, are initiated. The copy shall also contain the address and phone number of the Office of Health Facility Complaints and the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care and a brief statement describing how to file a complaint with these offices. Information about how to contact the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care shall be included in notices of change in client fees and in notices where home care providers initiate transfer or discontinuation of services.
History:
1987 c 378 s 4; 1991 c 133 s 1; 1998 c 407 art 2 s 81; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 1 s 39; 2002 c 379 art 1 s 113; 2007 c 147 art 7 s 75; art 10 s 15; 2009 c 79 art 8 s 7