Long-Term Care & Medicaid
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 127 - Watts - DMAS & DBH DS; modification of rules for 1915 (c) Home & Community Based Services Medicaid Waivers. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services | (H) Left in Health and Human Services | 02/13/24 |
| notes: Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to seek to modify the program rules for 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services Medicaid Waivers to disregard Social Security Disability Insurance in calculating eligibility for 1915(c) Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid Waivers. | |||
| HB 291 - Cherry - Long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening and screening exemption. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0024) | 03/08/24 |
| notes: Modifies existing provisions regarding the required long-term services and supports screening under the state plan for medical assistance services by creating greater flexibility for how screening are completed under certain circumstances. Under the bill, any individual receiving inpatient services in an acute care hospital discharged to a nursing facility for skilled care is not required to be screened prior to discharge from the hospital unless the individual requests the screening. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill contains an emergency clause. | |||
| HB 729 - Sickles - PACE programs; long-term services and support screening. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0048) | 03/08/24 |
| notes: Allows qualified staff of programs of all-inclusive care for the elderly (PACE) to conduct the required long-term services and supports screening in accordance with requirements established by the Department of Medical Assistance Services. The bill directs the Department to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. | |||
| HB 886 - Watts - Certified nursing facilities; administrative sanctions, facilities subject to minimum standards. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services | (H) Continued to 2025 in Health and Human Services | 02/06/24 |
| notes: Amends the administrative sanctions that may be imposed on certified nursing facilities in relation to compliance with staffing requirements. The bill directs the State Health Commissioner, in determining whether or not to impose sanctions, to make the determination of whether a certified nursing facility was located in a medically underserved area that severely limited the ability of the certified nursing facility to recruit and retain direct care staff. The bill requires nursing facilities subject to a corrective action plan to demonstrate compliance with the corrective action plan on a quarterly basis. Under the bill, in determining whether a corrective action plan is needed, the Commissioner shall consider certain evidence of direct care staff hours, unless the facility has had a change in ownership. The bill changes from three to two the number of corrective action plans after which, if a a certified nursing facility fails to show compliance or improvement, the Commissioner may place the facility on probation. The bill also includes all nursing homes eligible to receive Medicaid reimbursement for residents in the list of facilities subject to minimum standards for (i) construction and maintenance; (ii) operation, staffing, and equipping; and (iii) the qualifications and training of staff. The bill changes the effective date of certain provisions passed in the 2023 Session of the General Assembly relating to staffing requirements for certified nursing facilities from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2024. | |||
| HB 982 - Tran - State plan for medical assistance services; plan to include adult hearing screenings, etc. | (H) Committee on Appropriations | (H) Left in Appropriations | 02/13/24 |
| notes: Directs the Board of Medical Assistance Services to amend the state plan for medical assistance services to include a provision for payment of medical assistance for all medically necessary (i) adult hearing screenings; (ii) audiological examinations; (iii) initial purchases or replacements of hearing aids, up to $1,500 per year; and (iv) hearing aid batteries, up to 60 batteries per year. | |||
| HB 1063 - Willett - Nursing homes; application requirements. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services | (H) Continued to 2025 in Health and Human Services | 01/23/24 |
| notes: Requires all applicants for a nursing home license to complete and submit an application on a form approved by the Department of Health. Under the bill, the applicant is required to provide certain information in the application form, including information on (i) ownership interests in nursing homes, (ii) pending litigation, (iii) real property related to the nursing home, (iv) secured notes, (v) the financial history of persons mentioned in the application, and (v) contact information for certain persons. The bill requires the Department of Health to publish written notice of all applications for nursing home licensure on its website, including a copy of the application form completed by the applicant and information about the public input and comment process. Under the bill, all applications for nursing home licensure are subject to a 30-day public comment period. The bill allows individuals to request a public hearing on an applicant's suitability for nursing home licensure. The bill sets forth the factors that the Department of Health is required to consider in determining whether to approve or deny an application to operate a nursing home. | |||
| SB 24 - Locke - Long-term services and supports screening; expedited screening and screening exemption. | (H) Committee on Health and Human Services (S) Committee on Education and Health | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0152) | 03/26/24 |
| notes: Modifies existing provisions regarding the required long-term services and supports screening under the state plan for medical assistance services by creating greater flexibility for how screening are completed under certain circumstances. Under the bill, any individual receiving inpatient services in an acute care hospital discharged to a nursing facility for skilled care is not required to be screened prior to discharge from the hospital unless the individual requests the screening. The bill directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill. The bill contains an emergency clause. | |||
| SB 59 - Favola - Federal Medicaid Works program; DMAS to convene work group to study, etc. | (H) Committee on Appropriations (S) Committee on Rules | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0335) | 04/02/24 |
| notes: Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to convene a work group of relevant stakeholders to study and make recommendations to improve access to and successful utilization of the federal Medicaid Works program. The bill requires the work group to report its findings and recommendations to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by November 1, 2024. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia Disability Commission. | |||