Analysis

Topic: Nursing Homes
Sponsor: Representative Wojno
Committee: Senate Health Policy
Date Introduced: January 31, 2001
Date Passed By the House: March 20, 2001
Date of Analysis: April 5, 2001

Position: The Department of Consumer and Industry Services supports the bill with the following amendment:

Amend Page 2, line 3 by deleting "within 24 hours" and inserting "by the next business day".

Description of Bill: The bill requires the Department of Consumer and Industry Services to provide a toll-free complaint and inquiry line. The line must be accessible 24 hours per day and staffed at a level to ensure a response within 24 hours after receipt. The department is required to establish a response system that includes at least the following three components:

• An intake form that serves as a written complaint;
• Forwarding the intake form to an investigator by the next business day;
• Forwarding a copy of the completed intake form to the consumer or complaint by the next business day.

Arguments For: The bill will assure that nursing home complaints are responded to in the most timely manner possible.

Arguments Against: The bill is not needed. The Department of Consumer and Industry Services already maintains a 24-hour complaint telephone line for the public to call when they have a nursing home complaint. As currently written, the bill will require some staffing on the weekends to field a maximum a few calls. In one recent weekend there were three calls to the hot line. One was a hang up. A second did not relate to nursing homes or even the department. The third was a non-urgent nursing home complaint. Requiring a response by the next business day is sufficient. Nursing homes are required by law to report situations requiring an immediate response and there is a separate toll-free number in the department for that purpose.

Supporters/Opponents: No information is available at this time.

Fiscal Information: The bill will require the department to staff the telephone line in some way during the weekends.

Administrative Rules Impact: No change in administrative rules is anticipated.