Bill Text: NJ S1811 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes program for certain individuals to become certified homemaker-home health aides and provide services to certain Medicaid and Medicaid-Medicare dually eligible enrollees under increased reimbursement rates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee [S1811 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-S1811-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes program for certain individuals to become certified homemaker-home health aides and provide services to certain Medicaid and Medicaid-Medicare dually eligible enrollees under increased reimbursement rates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning certified homemaker-home health aides and home care services and supplementing P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. No later than six months after the effective date of this act, the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services shall establish a program under which a family member of an enrollee in Medicare, Medicaid, or NJ FamilyCare, or a third-party individual approved by the enrollee or the enrollee's guardian, may be certified as a certified homemaker-home health aide and, under the direction of a registered professional nurse, provide certified homemaker-home health aide services to the enrollee through a home care services agency under the reimbursement rates established pursuant to subsection d. of this section, provided that the enrollee is 65 years of age or older and qualifies for homemaker-home health aide services under Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare. The division shall develop an assessment tool that will allow the division to readily identify enrollees who meet these eligibility criteria.
b. The program established pursuant to this section shall require the family member or approved third-party individual to complete all the training, testing, and other qualification criteria as are required under State and federal law for certification as a certified homemaker-home health aide. The home care services agency that will employ the family member or approved third-party individual to provide homemaker-home health aide services to the enrollee shall pay all costs for the family member or approved third-party individual to become certified as a certified homemaker-home health aide. In no case shall a family member or approved third-party individual who becomes a certified homemaker-home health aide under the provisions of this section be required to repay or reimburse the home care services agency for the costs of the family member or approved third-party individual becoming certified as a certified homemaker-home health aide under the program.
c. The tasks delegated by a registered professional nurse to a family member or approved third-party individual who becomes certified as a certified homemaker-home health aide pursuant to this section shall be consistent with the tasks that may be generally delegated to certified homemaker-home health aides pursuant to the rules of the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
d. Certified homemaker-home health aide services provided by a family member of a Medicare, Medicaid, or NJ FamilyCare enrollee or an approved third-party individual who becomes certified as a certified homemaker-home health aide under the program established pursuant to this section shall be reimbursed at a rate of no less than $30 per hour.
2. The Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services in the Department of Human Services shall adopt rules and regulations, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), as are necessary to implement the provisions of this act.
3. The Commissioner of Human Services shall apply for such State plan amendments or waivers as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this act and to secure federal financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal Medicaid program.
4. This act shall take effect nine months following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS) in the Department of Human Services (DHS) to establish a program under which a family member of an enrollee in Medicare, Medicaid, or NJ FamilyCare, or a third-party individual approved by the enrollee or the enrollee's guardian, may be certified as a certified homemaker-home health aide (CHHA) and, under the direction of a registered professional nurse, provide CHHA services to the enrollee through a home care services agency, which services will be subject to an enhanced reimbursement rate. The program established under the bill will apply to enrollees who are 65 years of age or older and qualify for CHHA services under Medicaid or NJ FamilyCare. The DMAHS will be required to develop an assessment tool that will allow the DMAHS to readily identify enrollees who meet these eligibility criteria.
Under the program, the family member or approved third-party individual will be required to complete all the training, testing, and other qualification criteria as are required under State and federal law for certification as a CHHA. The home care services agency that will employ the family member or approved third-party individual will be required to pay all costs for the family member or approved third-party individual to become certified as a CHHA. In no case will the family member or approved third-party individual be required to repay or reimburse the agency for the costs of becoming a CHHA.
The tasks delegated by a registered professional nurse to a family member or approved third-party individual who becomes certified as a CHHA under the bill are to be consistent with the tasks that may be generally delegated to CHHAs pursuant to the rules of the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
CHHA services provided by a family member of a Medicare, Medicaid, or NJ FamilyCare enrollee or an approved third-party individual under the bill will be reimbursed at a rate of no less than $30 per hour.
The DMAHS will be required to establish the program within six months after the effective date of the bill. The DHS will be required to apply for State plan amendments and waivers as are necessary to implement the provisions of the bill and to secure federal financial participation for State Medicaid expenditures under the federal Medicaid program.
