Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid waivers; consumer-directed services; employer of record. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) to modify the program rules for consumer-directed services available through certain Medicaid waivers to allow an individual receiving services to serve as the employer of record (EOR) for his own service delivery and designate another individual to perform all or a portion of the duties of the EOR on the individual's behalf when the individual receiving services is unable to perform such duties or direct his own care. The bill specifies that when an individual (i) has not yet reached the age of majority, (ii) is ineligible to use his existing employer identification number (EIN) to facilitate the taxation of benefits, or (iii) is otherwise determined to be ineligible by DMAS by administrative rule, the EIN shall be assigned to the individual receiving services and shall not be transferred to another individual. Under the bill, DMAS has the authority to limit such amendments to specify that an individual receiving services may make such designation no more than twice per calendar year.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; Medicaid estate recoveries. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services (the Department) to limit the operation of its estate recovery program to the recovery of only federally required costs. The bill directs the Department to make information on estate recovery available on its website in multiple languages. The bill directs the Department to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill.
Department of Medical Assistance Services; enhanced oversight of services facilitators. Directs the Department of Medical Assistance Services to enhance oversight of Medicaid services facilitation for consumer directed services, including incorporation of such services into the statewide Fiscal Employer Agent contract and development of a contract monitoring and oversight plan.
Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund established. Creates the Firefighters Cancer Screening Grant Program and Fund to award grants to localities for costs incurred in providing certain cancer detection tests to firefighters. The bill provides that in any year that the amount of funds in the Firefighters Cancer Screening Fund reduces to zero and the Fund does not receive a separate appropriation, the Grant Program and Fund shall expire.
Administrative Process Act; exemptions; limitations; appeals of case decisions regarding benefits sought. Specifies that the Administrative Process Act applies to case decisions regarding the grant or denial, including determinations of eligibility and approved levels of service, of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, general relief, auxiliary grants, or state-local hospitalization. The bill also removes provisions limiting review of case decisions to ascertaining whether there was evidence in the agency record to support the case decision of the agency.
Fees for vehicles designed and used for transportation of passengers; funds returned to a locality; permitted uses. Expands the permitted use of funds returned to a locality from certain vehicle fees to include the purchase or maintenance of necessary equipment, supplies, facilities, and vehicles permitted by the Office of Emergency Medical Services and other operating expenses deemed necessary by the locality to ensure the provision of emergency medical services in such locality by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies. Under current law, such funds may be used for the purchase of necessary equipment and supplies for use in the locality for emergency medical services provided by nonprofit emergency medical services agencies.
Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services; Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities; program extension. Directs the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to take all steps necessary to implement the federal extension option for the federal Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities to allow children four years of age or younger to receive services through such Program. Under current law, the Program is available for children between birth and three years of age.
Access to investigational drugs, biological products, and devices; patient with severely debilitating condition. Allows a patient who has a severely debilitating condition, defined in the bill as a disease or condition that causes major irreversible morbidity, to access investigational drugs, biological products, and devices when certain criteria are met. Under current law, only a patient who has a terminal condition may access such drugs, products, and devices.
Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact; criminal background check. Establishes the procedure by which the Board of Dentistry shall fulfill the criminal background check requirement of the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact. The bill requires applicants for compact-eligible licensure to provide fingerprints and personal identifying information for a criminal background check, directs the Central Criminal Records Exchange to disseminate criminal history information obtained to the Board, and establishes the process by which an applicant may obtain their criminal history record in the event that such applicant disputes the criminal history information on which a denial of licensure is based.
Health Care Learning Lab and Regulatory Improvement Program established. Requires the Department of Health (the Department) to establish the Health Care Learning Lab and Regulatory Improvement Program (the Program) to enable a person to obtain limited access to the market in the Commonwealth to temporarily test an innovative health care product or service on a limited basis without otherwise being licensed or authorized to act under the laws of the Commonwealth. Under the Program, an applicant requests the waiver of certain laws, regulations, or other requirements for a 24-month testing period, with an option to request an additional six-month testing period. The bill provides application requirements, consumer protections, procedures for exiting the Program or requesting an extension, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The bill requires the Department to provide an annual report to the Chairs of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the Senate Committee on Education and Health that provides information regarding each Program participant and recommendations regarding the effectiveness of the Program. The bill directs the Board of Health to adopt emergency regulations to implement the provisions of the bill and has an expiration date of July 1, 2030.
