Senate Study Bill 1180 



                                       SENATE FILE       
                                       BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
                                            HUMAN RESOURCES BILL
                                            BY CHAIRPERSON RAGAN)


    Passed Senate, Date               Passed House,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the identification of the eligibility of
  2    tenants of an assisted living program for benefits through the
  3    United States department of veterans affairs.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 2102SC 83
  6 pf/nh/8

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  231C.5A  ASSESSMENT OF TENANTS ==
  1  2 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY.
  1  3    An assisted living program receiving reimbursement through
  1  4 the medical assistance program under chapter 249A shall assist
  1  5 the department of veterans affairs in identifying, upon
  1  6 admission of a tenant, the tenant's eligibility for benefits
  1  7 through the United States department of veterans affairs.  The
  1  8 assisted living program shall also assist the commission of
  1  9 veterans affairs in determining such eligibility for tenants
  1 10 residing in the program on July 1, 2009.  The department of
  1 11 inspections and appeals, in cooperation with the department of
  1 12 human services, shall adopt rules to administer this section,
  1 13 including a provision that ensures that if a tenant is
  1 14 eligible for benefits through the United States department of
  1 15 veterans affairs or other third=party payor, the payor of last
  1 16 resort for reimbursement to the assisted living program is the
  1 17 medical assistance program.  The rules shall also require the
  1 18 assisted living program to request information from a tenant
  1 19 or tenant's personal representative regarding the tenant's
  1 20 veteran status and to report to the department of veterans
  1 21 affairs only the names of tenants identified as potential
  1 22 veterans along with the names of their spouses and any
  1 23 dependents.  Information reported by the assisted living
  1 24 program shall be verified by the department of veterans
  1 25 affairs.
  1 26                           EXPLANATION
  1 27    This bill requires assisted living programs that receive
  1 28 reimbursement through the medical assistance (Medicaid)
  1 29 program to assist the department of veterans affairs in
  1 30 identifying, upon admission of a tenant, and for tenants
  1 31 already residing in the assisted living program on July 1,
  1 32 2009, the tenant's eligibility for benefits through the United
  1 33 States department of veterans affairs.  The department of
  1 34 inspections and appeals, in cooperation with the department of
  1 35 human services, shall adopt rules to administer the bill
  2  1 including rules to ensure that if the tenant is eligible for
  2  2 veterans benefits or other third=party payor benefits, the
  2  3 payor of last resort for reimbursement to the assisted living
  2  4 program is the Medicaid program.  The rules are also to
  2  5 require the assisted living program to request information
  2  6 from a tenant or the tenant's personal representative
  2  7 regarding the tenant's veteran status and to report to the
  2  8 department of veterans affairs only the names of tenants
  2  9 identified as potential veterans along with the names of their
  2 10 spouses and any dependents.  The information submitted is to
  2 11 be verified by the department of veterans affairs.
  2 12    Code section 135C.31A is a similar provision applicable to
  2 13 health care facilities.
  2 14 LSB 2102SC 83
  2 15 pf/nh/8