AN ACT INCREASING ELIGIBILITY FOR THE CONNECTICUT HOME-CARE PROGRAM FOR THE ELDERLY.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 17b-342 of the 2014 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2014):

(i) (1) On and after July 1, 1992, the Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available appropriations, administer a state-funded portion of the program for persons (A) who are sixty-five years of age and older; (B) who are inappropriately institutionalized or at risk of inappropriate institutionalization; (C) whose income is less than or equal to the amount allowed under subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section; and (D) whose assets, [if single, do not exceed the minimum community spouse protected amount pursuant to Section 4022.05 of the department's uniform policy manual or, if married, the couple's assets do not exceed one hundred fifty per cent of said community spouse protected amount and on and after April 1, 2007, whose assets, if single, do not exceed one hundred fifty per cent of the minimum community spouse protected amount pursuant to Section 4022.05 of the department's uniform policy manual or, if married, the couple's assets do not exceed two hundred per cent of said community spouse protected amount] on and after July 1, 2014, if single, do not exceed forty thousand dollars or, if married, do not exceed sixty-five thousand dollars.

(2) Except for persons residing in affordable housing under the assisted living demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e, as provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection, any person whose income is at or below two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level and who is ineligible for Medicaid shall contribute [seven] six per cent of the cost of his or her care. Any person whose income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level shall contribute [seven] six per cent of the cost of his or her care in addition to the amount of applied income determined in accordance with the methodology established by the Department of Social Services for recipients of medical assistance. Any person who does not contribute to the cost of care in accordance with this subdivision shall be ineligible to receive services under this subsection. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the department shall not be required to provide an administrative hearing to a person found ineligible for services under this [subsection] subdivision because of a failure to contribute to the cost of care.

(3) Any person who resides in affordable housing under the assisted living demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e and whose income is at or below two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level [,] shall not be required to contribute to the cost of care. Any person who resides in affordable housing under the assisted living demonstration project established pursuant to section 17b-347e and whose income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level [,] shall contribute to the applied income amount determined in accordance with the methodology established by the Department of Social Services for recipients of medical assistance. Any person whose income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level and who does not contribute to the cost of care in accordance with this subdivision shall be ineligible to receive services under this subsection. Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the department shall not be required to provide an administrative hearing to a person found ineligible for services under this [subsection] subdivision because of a failure to contribute to the cost of care.

(4) The annualized cost of services provided to an individual under the state-funded portion of the program shall not exceed fifty per cent of the weighted average cost of care in nursing homes in the state, except an individual who received services costing in excess of such amount under the Department of Social Services in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1992, may continue to receive such services, provided the annualized cost of such services does not exceed eighty per cent of the weighted average cost of such nursing home care. The commissioner may allow the cost of services provided to an individual to exceed the maximum cost established pursuant to this subdivision in a case of extreme hardship, as determined by the commissioner, provided in no case shall such cost exceed that of the weighted cost of such nursing home care.