NURSING HOMES: HOSPICE CARE NOTICE - S.B. 826: FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 826 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor: Senator Bev Hammerstrom

Committee: Health Policy


CONTENT


The bill would amend the Public Health Code to require nursing home contracts to contain information about the availability of hospice care. The bill would take effect on July 1, 2002.


Under the Code, a nursing home must execute a written contract with an applicant or patient, or the person's guardian or legal representative, when an individual is admitted to the nursing home, when the term of a previous contract expires, and when the source of payment for a patient's care changes. The contract must contain information specified in the Code, including the services to be provided under the contract and the charges for them. Under the bill, this information also would have to include the availability of hospice or other special care.


The bill would require a nursing home specifically to give written notice to an applicant or patient, or that person's guardian or legal representative, of the availability or lack of availability of hospice care in the nursing home. The notice would have to be in a specific paragraph located in the written contract. The notice would have to require the applicant or patient, or the person's guardian or legal representative, to sign or initial the paragraph before the contract was executed. As used in these provisions, "hospice" would be defined as it is in Section 20106(4) of the Code, i.e., a health care program that provides a coordinated set of services rendered at home or in outpatient or institutional settings for individuals suffering from a disease or condition with a terminal prognosis.


MCL 333.21766 - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne


FISCAL IMPACT


The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.


Date Completed: 11-29-01 - Fiscal Analyst: M. TyszkiewiczFloor\sb826 - Bill Analysis @ http://www.senate.state.mi.us/sfa

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.