HCS HB 1945 -- CERTIFICATE OF NEED

SPONSOR:  Barry

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Children,
Families and Health by a vote of 13 to 0.

This substitute exempts proposed additions and projects of
continuing care retirement communities from the Certificate of
Need Law if the communities consist of at least 50 independent
units and at least 20 residential care facility beds or 20
nursing beds.

Any facility which has been licensed more than three years and
has failed to have a 55% occupancy level for the previous six
quarters must relinquish to the Certificate of Need Program beds
in excess of 65% of the facility's licensed beds.  The facility
may reacquire the beds after obtaining a 90% occupancy rate on
the remaining beds for one year.

The substitute also allows a person who owns a continuing care
retirement community to relocate beds to another continuing care
retirement community with mutual ownership or change the
licensure category of the beds and relocate the beds to another
continuing care retirement community with mutual ownership.

The substitute contains an emergency clause.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not available at time of printing.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that there is a shortage of skilled
nursing facility beds in Missouri, resulting in a lack of choice
for Missouri seniors who require these services.  The bill will
provide Missouri seniors a choice in their living arrangements.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Barry; Lutheran
Senior Services; and Heisinger Lutheran Home.

OPPONENTS:  Those who oppose the bill say that "congregate
housing" is not well defined and that it is not clear what
purpose the Division of Aging would have in acquiring beds from
any skilled nursing facility which fails to meet occupancy
requirements.

Testifying against the bill was Missouri Health Care Association.

Joseph Deering, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:03 am