NURSING HOMES-INSPECTIONS

Amends the Nursing Home Care Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish by rule guidelines for required continuing education of all employees who inspect, survey, or evaluate a facility and to offer continuing education opportunities at least quarterly. Provides that the Department shall notify a facility and complainant of its findings regarding a complainant's complaint within 5 calendar days (rather than 10 days) of the determination. Provides that employees of a State or unit of local government agency charged with inspecting, surveying, or evaluating facilities are required to complete at least 10 hours of continuing education annually. Provides that if a facility is found to have violated any provision of the Act or rule adopted under the Act, the facility shall develop a plan of correction to address deficiencies indicated in a statement of deficiency. Requires the Department to approve or deny the plan of correction within 72 hours after receiving the plan of correction. Provides that the Department shall conduct an annual review of all survey activity from the preceding calendar year (rather than conduct an annual review) and make a report including specified information concerning the complaint and survey process. Contains other provisions. House Floor Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the introduced bill with the following changes. Removes language requiring specified actions to be taken within 7 (rather than 30) days or 5 (rather than 10) days after specified events. Removes language providing that, if a facility is found to have violated any provision of the Act or rule adopted under the Act, the facility shall develop a plan of correction to address deficiencies indicated in a statement of deficiency. Requires the Department of Public Health's annual report to include the total number of times the Department recommended a discretionary denial of payment for new Medicare or Medicaid admissions with a specified effective date and the number of instances in which employees not fully vaccinated against or who tested positive for COVID-19 entered a long-term care facility. Makes other changes. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Requires the 10 hours of continuing education to include specified topics that support the survey process. Provides that the continuing education is separate from any continuing education required for any license that the employee holds. Requires the Department of Public Health's report to include (i) the breakdown of 24-hour, 7-day, and 30-day complaints, (ii) the average length of tenure for nurse surveyors employed by the Department at the time the report is created, and (iii) the total number of times the Department recommended a discretionary denial of payment for new Medicare or Medicaid admissions and how much time existed between the start of that denial and when the facility was notified. Removes language requiring all of the listed reporting criteria and additional complaint information requested by the Long-Term Care Facility Advisory Board, the Illinois Long-Term Care Council, or the General Assembly to be provided in aggregate and broken down by Office of Health Care Regulation region. Makes other changes. Senate Floor Amendment No. 3 Replaces everything after the enacting clause with the provisions of the engrossed bill with the following changes. Provides that at least 5 of the 10 required hours of continuing education shall be separate and distinct from any continuing education hours required for any license that the employee holds. Allows any continuing education hours provided by the Department in addition to the required 10 hours of continuing education to count towards continuing education hours required for any license that the employee holds. Makes changes in the list of items to be included in the Department's annual report. Deletes a provision requiring employees of local agencies that inspect facilities to complete continuing education. Removes language requiring all of the listed reporting criteria and additional complaint information requested by the Long-Term Care Facility Advisory Board, the Illinois Long-Term Care Council, or the General Assembly to be provided in aggregate and broken down by Office of Health Care Regulation region. Makes other changes.