US Congress Senate Bill 647 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: Introduced on March 19 2009 - 25% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2009-03-19 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act of 2009 - Amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and nursing facilities to make available ownership and additional disclosable parties information for submission to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the state in which the facility is located, and in certain instances the state long-term care ombudsman. Outlines accountability requirements for such institutions. Directs the Secretary to establish a quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) program for SNFs, including multi-unit chains of such facilities. Requires specified additional information to appear on the HHS Nursing Home Compare Medicare Website. Requires SNFs to separately report expenditures for wages and benefits for different levels of direct care staff. Directs the Secretary to develop a standardized form for use by a resident (or a person acting on the resident's behalf) in filing a complaint about a SNF with a state survey and certification agency or long-term care ombudsman program. Requires a state to establish a complaint resolution process. Directs the Secretary to establish a program for SNFs to report staffing information based on payroll data and other verifiable and auditable data in a uniform format. Outlines rules governing civil monetary penalties for SNF violations. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the financial status, resident care, and performance of SNFs and nursing facilities in the Special Focus Facility (or a successor) program of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relative to a comparable sample of facilities outside such program. Directs the Secretary to establish a national independent monitoring pilot program to oversee interstate and large intrastate chains of SNFs. Requires a SNF administrator to notify the Secretary and other responsible parties of an impending closure of the facility. Directs the Secretary to conduct demonstration projects on the culture change movement and the development of best practices in SNFs and nursing facilities for the use of information technology to improve resident care. Directs the Secretary establish requirements for the approval of nurse aide training and competency evaluation programs that include dementia management training and patient abuse prevention training. Directs the Secretary to study and report to Congress on training for certified nurse aides and supervisory staff of SNFs and nursing facilities.

Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act of 2009

Sen. Robert Casey [D-PA]

Sen. Chuck Grassley [R-IA]

Sen. John Kerry [D-MA]

Sen. Herb Kohl [D-WI]

Date	Chamber	Action
2009-03-19		Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
2009-03-19		Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3555-3556)

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/647/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/111/bills/s647/BILLS-111s647is.pdf