HB 1689 -- Licensure of Home Care Companies

Sponsor:  Ladd Stokan

This bill revises provisions pertaining to licensure of home
health agencies.  In its main provisions, the bill:

(1)  Revises certain definitions pertaining to home health and
contains new definitions which include branch offices, home care
companies, paraprofessional home care companies, professional
home care companies, and survey inspections;

(2)  Requires home health companies and other entities that
provide client services to maintain a location within Missouri
and to obtain a valid license from the Department of Health;

(3)  Requires such licenses to be renewed annually and specifies
the conditions and requirements of licensure renewals;

(4)  Specifies the conditions (including change of ownership)
under which a temporary operating permit will be issued by the
department;

(5)  Specifies posting requirements for licenses;

(6)  Specifies the content of the licenses;

(7)  Specifies conditions requiring home care companies to
contact the department if such companies relocate within the
state;

(8)  Specifies requirements under which written reports of
survey inspections will be accepted by the department;

(9)  Requires licensed home care companies to submit statistical
reports to the department;

(10)  Allows the department to conduct other inspections,
surveys, or complaint investigations of home care companies and
specifies the requirements for conducting inspections and a re--
inspection of home care companies;

(11)  Requires the preparation of a written report based on an
inspection and a plan of corrective actions taken by home care
companies if deficiencies are found;

(12)  Allows home care companies to seek a review by the
Administrative Hearing Commission of deficiency findings by the
department after a re-inspection;

(13)  Allows home care companies to receive immediate sanctions
by the department if clients are in immediate jeopardy;

(14)  Specifies procedures the department will use to
investigate complaints;

(15)  Requires employees of home care companies to report
evidence of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of clients;

(16)  Specifies conditions under which the department will
refuse to issue a license or suspend or revoke the license of
home care companies;

(17)  Specifies that during the application for or the renewal
of a license, the department can have access to records of an
operator, owner, or principal in the operation of a home care
company who has been found guilty, who pleads guilty, or who
enters a plea of nolo contendere (no contest) to certain
offenses;

(18)  Contains a good cause waiver provision to the licensure
sanctioning requirements for owners, operators, or principals
who operate home care companies;

(19)  Requires the department to develop separate licenses and
regulations for categories of home care companies;

(20)  Changes the name of the Home Health Services Advisory
Council to the Home Care Advisory Council and specifies the
composition of the council, the times, and form of council
meetings;

(21)  Specifies the persons, providers, and entities exempted
from the provisions of the bill;

(22)  Specifies the conditions in which reports and inspections
are required to be accessible to the public; and

(23)  Specifies the conditions and requirements of disclosing
confidential medical, personal, and financial records of clients
who receive services from a home care company.