This bill mandates the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct semiannual joint training sessions for nursing home inspectors and nursing facilities. These sessions will focus on reviewing at least three of the ten most frequently issued federal citations from the previous year and will involve the state long-term care ombudsman and representatives from nursing facility provider associations in the planning process. Additionally, the department is required to provide at least one training session that covers the settlement agreement from the Jimmo v. Sebelius case, which clarifies that coverage for skilled nursing and therapy services is based on a beneficiary's need for skilled care rather than their potential for improvement.

The bill emphasizes the importance of understanding regional citation patterns related to complaints, standards, and outcomes in the nursing facility inspection process. The inclusion of the Jimmo v. Sebelius settlement agreement aims to ensure that inspectors and nursing facilities are aware of the federal policy regarding coverage for skilled care, thereby enhancing the quality of care provided in these settings.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 135C.35C