Raised Bill No. 311 seeks to amend the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly, with changes effective July 1, 2024. The bill revises eligibility criteria, redefines "long-term care facility," and mandates revisions to the state Medicaid plan to explore federal funding while ensuring cost-effectiveness. It expands the list of community-based services covered, including occupational therapy, homemaker services, and assisted living services, while removing "elderly foster care" and adding "adult family living." The bill allows family caregivers, including spouses, to be compensated for providing personal care assistance services under certain conditions. It also addresses coverage for recipients of state-funded services and those with pending medical assistance applications or presumptive Medicaid eligibility, ensuring compliance with application requirements and prohibiting access agencies from using department funds to purchase services from themselves or related parties.

The bill introduces a presumptive Medicaid eligibility system to fund services for applicants likely to be financially eligible for Medicaid, requiring a preliminary screening tool, a Medicaid application within a specified timeframe, initiation of home-care services within ten days of eligibility screening, and a written agreement from the applicant. It also includes provisions for retroactive Medicaid reimbursement and requires long-term care facilities to inform applicants about the program. The Commissioner of Social Services must report annually to the General Assembly on the program's outcomes. The bill outlines eligibility criteria for the state-funded portion of the program, including asset limits for individuals and couples, and expands eligibility categories for program applications received on or after July 1, 2024. Insertions in the bill include amendments to sections 17b-342, 17b-253(a), 17b-354(e)(1), 17b-617(a), and 38a-475, while deletions are made from the same sections to accommodate the new provisions.

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