Majority Leader Looney, Prague Hail Enactment of Law Creating State’s Nursing Home Bill of Rights
July 9, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — State Senator Edith G. Prague (D-Columbia), Senate Chair of the legislature’s Select Committee on Aging, and Senate Majority Leader Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) today welcomed final action on the bill that committee initiated to create a Nursing Home Bill of Rights for Connecticut. Senator Prague said Governor Rell’s signature indicates formal enactment into law.
The new law protects the state’s growing number of senior citizens by preventing family members of those seniors from being held responsible for additional nursing home expenses, should such long-term care become necessary. The new law aligns Connecticut with existing federal law, prohibiting any requirement for a third-party guarantee of financial responsibility as a condition of admission or continuing residence at the facility, the lawmakers said.
“The last thing a family needs while coping with the emotional, logistical, and bureaucratic burden of placing a loved one into a nursing home is any additional pressure on the financial front, and this new law provides the assurance that no third-party payment guarantee will be required for admission,” Senator Prague said. “The law used to extend this prohibition to the families of Medicaid patients; now this right is extended to all patients.”
Senator Prague also explained what she said might be the new law’s most important provision, namely, that the benefits provided for in the bill of rights cannot be overruled in any individual contract a nursing home might sign with a family.
“This law will ensure that seniors applying to nursing homes are treated fairly,” said Senator Looney. “Seniors seeking admission to nursing homes shouldn’t have to worry that they might be rejected because another applicant was a higher bidder: admission should be based on the medical needs of the patient. The bill specifically prohibits any facility from requiring, soliciting, accepting, or receiving anything deemed an enticement or condition for admission. Likewise, nothing can be exchanged for accelerated admission or an extended stay. Senator Prague should be congratulated for her hard work on this important bill.”
Senator Prague is serving her eighth term in the state Senate; she previously served four terms in the House of Representatives. Senator Looney is serving his ninth Senate term; prior to his tenure he served six terms in the House.
