CT lawmakers are passing a bill aimed at improving nursing home oversight

A measure that would, among other things, reduce the number of people who can stay in nursing home rooms, add consumer protections in assisted living centers and strengthen oversight of nursing home management companies, was approved Wednesday with unanimous Senate support.

The bill now heads to Governor Ned Lamont’s desk for his signature.

“This bill aims to provide Connecticut’s aging citizens with high-quality nursing homes, provides consumers and caregivers with greater transparency in selecting the right level of care, promotes industry-leading practices, and holds underperforming homes accountable,” said Senator . . Jan Hochadel, D-Meriden, co-chair of the Aging Committee.

The proposal, introduced by Lamont, provides for the gradual abolition of three- and four-bed nursing home rooms from July 1, 2026, by halting new admissions to rooms already occupied by two people. Those currently living in a three- or four-bed room will not be forced to move. Lawmakers said 17 of the state’s roughly 200 nursing homes still have three- or four-bed rooms.

Nursing homes can report capital costs, such as room adjustments or renovations, in their annual cost reports, and Social Services will include the expenses in Medicaid reimbursement rates, officials said. A provision in the bill gives the state’s social services commissioner the authority to recalculate Medicaid rates and adjust conversions if necessary.

The measure also allows for greater supervision of nursing home management companies. Under the proposal, the state public health department would be able to deny or refuse to renew a nursing home management certificate based on past or current discipline, enforce correction plans against management companies and place management companies under similar supervision as the department in the area of change. of property, and the imposition of sanctions, such as the revocation of certificates or civil penalties.

It also requires management companies to obtain approval from the health department before operating new facilities beyond those listed at the time of licensing or renewal.

The bill also requires assisted living agencies to provide notice of rate increases to residents or their representatives at least 60 days before they take effect and, upon request, to provide them with a history of rate increases for the past three years.

In addition, the measure would:

Allow the Health Department to take disciplinary action against long-term care facilities that fail to comply with the terms of an accepted plan of correction (currently the Department has no enforcement mechanisms).
Expand the Department of Health’s authority to enforce violations of state law, not just federal law.
Require that applications for nursing home moratoriums, an involuntary process initiated by creditors or the state, be granted if the facility suffers any form of serious financial loss or bankruptcy.
Update the criteria for who can be appointed as a trustee by removing the requirement that they be licensed as a nursing home administrator.
Set up a working group to make recommendations that can help nursing homes phase out three- and four-bed rooms.

The Connecticut Mirror has reported extensively on gaps in the state’s elder care system — both in nursing homes and in home care — and has highlighted deteriorating conditions in many nursing facilities. In 2023, serious violations known as immediate danger orders increased, a major nursing home chain faced a number of lawsuits, and that company’s CEO acknowledged he was six months behind on paying employee health claims.

“This bill was written in a bipartisan manner,” said Sen. Lisa Seminara, R-Avon. “We all worked together to end up with a bill that I think is a real effort to put all parties involved at ease. And we did that by never losing sight of improving the lives of our ever-growing group of seniors.”

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