(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall develop a plan to establish and administer a demonstration project to provide home and community-based long-term care services for persons who are eighteen years of age or older, who are institutionalized or at risk of institutionalization, and who meet the financial and level of care eligibility criteria established in regulations adopted for the Connecticut home-care program for the elderly pursuant to section 17b-342. Services provided under the demonstration project shall be modeled after services provided under the Money Follows the Person demonstration project pursuant to section 17b-369.

(b) The plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall detail the structure of the demonstration project, persons served, services to be provided and how they will be provided. The plan shall include a timetable for implementation of the demonstration project on or after July 1, 2009. The plan shall ensure that the demonstration project includes, but is not limited to, the provision of the following services through a Medicaid state plan amendment, a new Medicaid waiver or modification of an existing home and community-based Medicaid waiver: Personal care assistance services, twenty-four-hour care, occupational therapy, homemaker services, companion services, meals on wheels, adult day care, transportation, mental health counseling, care management, elderly foster care, minor home modifications, assistive technology and assisted living services. The plan shall ensure that a person participating in the demonstration project receives the level of care and services appropriate to maintain such person in such person's home or community.

(c) The plan shall identify (1) any federal Medicaid waivers or state Medicaid plan amendments necessary to implement the demonstration project, and (2) any costs or savings associated with such project. In developing the plan for the demonstration project, the commissioner shall consider the consolidation of existing waivers, demonstration projects and state-funded programs to promote the efficient administration of such other programs and the demonstration project developed under this section.

(d) Not later than January 1, 2012, the commissioner shall submit, in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to human services and appropriations and the budgets of state agencies the plan developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section along with recommendations for legislation and funding necessary to implement the plan. Not later than sixty days after the date of receipt of such plan, said joint standing committees of the General Assembly shall advise the commissioner of their approval, denial or modifications, if any, of the plan, and if such plan is approved by said committees, such plan shall be implemented on or after July 1, 2012, subject to available appropriations.

(e) The Commissioner of Social Services may implement policies and procedures necessary to carry out the provisions of this section while in the process of adopting such policies and procedures as regulations, provided notice of intent to adopt the regulations is published in the Connecticut Law Journal not later than twenty days after the date of implementation.

(P.A. 08-180, S. 2; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5, S. 87; P.A. 13-234, S. 121.)

History: P.A. 08-180 effective July 1, 2008; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-5 amended Subsec. (d) by changing plan submission date from January 1, 2009, to January 1, 2012, and by changing plan implementation date from July 1, 2009, to July 1, 2012, effective October 5, 2009; P.A. 13-234 added Subsec. (e) re implementation of policies and procedures while adopting regulations, effective July 1, 2013.