INTRODUCED
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.

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Last Updated October 5, 2000 at 11:34 am