This bill eliminates the so-called budget neutrality provisions relating to transferring and selling beds between nursing facilities and residential care facilities, converting beds from nursing services to residential care services and delicensing nursing facility beds. It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to amend its rules regarding nursing facilities, residential care facilities and private nonmedical institutions to remove all requirements of and references to provisions that costs must be fully offset by reductions in MaineCare costs, or so-called budget neutrality, in all rules affecting nursing facilities, residential care facilities or private nonmedical institutions or the certificate of need process for nursing facilities. It prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from implementing so-called budget neutrality in its policies or practices or by adopting or enforcing rules relating to nursing facilities, residential care facilities and private nonmedical institutions.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1827, SP 743: 22.329, 22.333, 22.334