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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 12, 2019 01:15 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Steven C. Mentzer |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Assisted Living Legislation |
| The General Assembly in 2007 codified Act 56 to include Assisted Living Residences as an alternative for consumers. The act states the following: The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: (1) Assisted living residences are a significant long-term care alternative nationwide. (2) Assisted living residences are a combination of housing and supportive services, as needed. They are widely accepted by the general public because they allow people to age in place, maintain their independence and exercise decision making and personal choice. (3) It is in the best interest of all Pennsylvanians that a system of licensure and regulation be established for assisted living residences in order to ensure accountability and a balance of availability between institutional and home-based and community-based long-term care for adults who need such care. When legislation authorizing Assisted Living Residences as a licensed model of care in Pennsylvania was enacted, the Office of Long-Term Living projected that between new construction and Personal Care Homes transitioning to become Assisted Living Residences, there would be over 300 licensed Assisted Living Residences in operation by FY 2014-2015. Currently, there are only 49 licensed residences. Several factors prohibit and/or dissuade current Personal Care Homes from transitioning to Assisted Living Residences including the physical site requirements set forth in current regulations. This legislation enables Personal Care Homes interested in converting to assisted living’s higher level of care standards to do so consistent with the intent of the assisted living legislation by removing unnecessary and unintended impediments to their successful conversion. The goal of this legislation is to promote and improve the availability of and access to assisted living as an age-in-place residential care and support option that consumers expected but to which they do not now enjoy routine choice of and access to. This legislation will increase the availability of this essential life style residential option particularly for those older adults who may need more care than can be provided in a Personal Care Home. This legislation also will permit Assisted Living Residences to participate as providers in the Commonwealth’s Medical Assistance funded managed care program known as Community HealthChoices and will make assisted living a covered service under that Program. Please join me in cosponsoring this important legislation |
Introduced as HB1442