(a) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, concerning the health, safety and welfare of patients in nursing home facilities, classification of violations relating to such facilities, medical staff qualifications, record-keeping, nursing service, dietary service, personnel qualifications and general operational conditions. The regulations shall: (1) Assure that each patient admitted to a nursing home facility is protected by adequate immunization against influenza and pneumococcal disease in accordance with the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, established by the Secretary of Health and Human Services; (2) specify that each patient be protected annually against influenza and be vaccinated against pneumonia in accordance with the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization; and (3) provide appropriate exemptions for patients for whom such immunizations are medically contraindicated and for patients who object to such immunization on religious grounds.

(b) Nursing home facilities or residential care homes may not charge the family or estate of a deceased self-pay patient beyond the date on which such patient dies. Nursing home facilities or residential care homes shall reimburse the estate of a deceased self-pay patient, within sixty days after the death of such patient, for any advance payments made by or on behalf of the patient covering any period beyond the date of death. Interest, in accordance with subsection (a) of section 37-1, on such reimbursement shall begin to accrue from the date of such patient's death.

(P.A. 75-468, S. 7, 17; P.A. 87-81; P.A. 02-10, S. 1; P.A. 03-278, S. 74; P.A. 13-208, S. 33.)

History: Sec. 19-603 transferred to Sec. 19a-522 in 1983; P.A. 87-81 added Subsec. (b) re reimbursement procedures to estates of deceased self-pay patients; P.A. 02-10 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting reference to December 1, 1975, as the date by which the commissioner was to adopt regulations, and added regulation requirements for the immunization or vaccination against influenza and pneumococcal disease of each patient admitted to a nursing home facility and provided an exception where such immunizations are medically contraindicated or where the patient objects on religious grounds; P.A. 03-278 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 9, 2003; P.A. 13-208 amended Subsec. (b) by adding references to residential care homes, effective July 1, 2013.