2005 Connecticut Code - Sec. 19a-550. (Formerly Sec. 19-622). Patients\' bill of rights.
Sec. 19a-550. (Formerly Sec. 19-622). Patients' bill of rights. (a)(1) As used in
this section, (A) "nursing home facility" shall have the same meaning as provided in
section 19a-521, and (B) "chronic disease hospital" means a long-term hospital having
facilities, medical staff and all necessary personnel for the diagnosis, care and treatment
of chronic diseases; and (2) for the purposes of subsections (c) and (d) of this section, and
subsection (b) of section 19a-537, "medically contraindicated" means a comprehensive
evaluation of the impact of a potential room transfer on the patient's physical, mental
and psychosocial well-being, which determines that the transfer would cause new symptoms or exacerbate present symptoms beyond a reasonable adjustment period resulting
in a prolonged or significant negative outcome that could not be ameliorated through
care plan intervention, as documented by a physician in a patient's medical record.
(c) The patients' bill of rights shall provide that a patient in a rest home with nursing supervision or a chronic and convalescent nursing home may be transferred from one room to another within a facility only for the purpose of promoting the patient's well-being, except as provided pursuant to subparagraph (C) or (D) of this subsection or subsection (d) of this section. Whenever a patient is to be transferred, the facility shall effect the transfer with the least disruption to the patient and shall assess, monitor and adjust care as needed subsequent to the transfer in accordance with subdivision (10) of subsection (b) of this section. When a transfer is initiated by the facility and the patient does not consent to the transfer, the facility shall establish a consultative process that includes the participation of the attending physician, a registered nurse with responsibility for the patient and other appropriate staff in disciplines as determined by the patient's needs, and the participation of the patient, the patient's family, a person designated by the patient in accordance with section 1-56r or other representative. The consultative process shall determine: (1) What caused consideration of the transfer; (2) whether the cause can be removed; and (3) if not, whether the facility has attempted alternatives to transfer. The patient shall be informed of the risks and benefits of the transfer and of any alternatives. If subsequent to the completion of the consultative process a patient still does not wish to be transferred, the patient may be transferred without the patient's consent, unless medically contraindicated, only (A) if necessary to accomplish physical plant repairs or renovations that otherwise could not be accomplished; provided, if practicable, the patient, if the patient wishes, shall be returned to the patient's room when the repairs or renovations are completed; (B) due to irreconcilable incompatibility between or among roommates, which is actually or potentially harmful to the well-being of a patient; (C) if the facility has two vacancies available for patients of the same sex in different rooms, there is no applicant of that sex pending admission in accordance with the requirements of section 19a-533 and grouping of patients by the same sex in the same room would allow admission of patients of the opposite sex, which otherwise would not be possible; (D) if necessary to allow access to specialized medical equipment no longer needed by the patient and needed by another patient; or (E) if the patient no longer needs the specialized services or programming that is the focus of the area of the facility in which the patient is located. In the case of an involuntary transfer, the facility shall, subsequent to completion of the consultative process, provide the patient and the patient's legally liable relative, guardian or conservator if any or other responsible party if known, with at least fifteen days' written notice of the transfer, which shall include the reason for the transfer, the location to which the patient is being transferred, and the name, address and telephone number of the regional long-term care ombudsman, except that in the case of a transfer pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this subsection at least thirty days' notice shall be provided. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, a patient may be involuntarily transferred immediately from one room to another within a facility to protect the patient or others from physical harm, to control the spread of an infectious disease, to respond to a physical plant or environmental emergency that threatens the patient's health or safety or to respond to a situation that presents a patient with an immediate danger of death or serious physical harm. In such a case, disruption of patients shall be minimized; the required notice shall be provided within twenty-four hours after the transfer; if practicable, the patient, if the patient wishes, shall be returned to the patient's room when the threat to health or safety which prompted the transfer has been eliminated; and, in the case of a transfer effected to protect a patient or others from physical harm, the consultative process shall be established on the next business day.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, unless medically contraindicated, a patient who is a Medicaid recipient may be transferred from a private to a nonprivate room. In the case of such a transfer, the facility shall (1) give at least thirty days' written notice to the patient and the patient's legally liable relative, guardian or conservator, if any, a person designated by the patient in accordance with section 1-56r or other responsible party, if known, which notice shall include the reason for the transfer, the location to which the patient is being transferred and the name, address and telephone number of the regional long-term care ombudsman; and (2) establish a consultative process to effect the transfer with the least disruption to the patient and assess, monitor and adjust care as needed subsequent to the transfer in accordance with subdivision (10) of subsection (b) of this section. The consultative process shall include the participation of the attending physician, a registered nurse with responsibility for the patient and other appropriate staff in disciplines as determined by the patient's needs, and the participation of the patient, the patient's family, a person designated by the patient in accordance with section 1-56r or other representative.
(e) Any facility that negligently deprives a patient of any right or benefit created or established for the well-being of the patient by the provisions of this section shall be liable to such patient in a private cause of action for injuries suffered as a result of such deprivation. Upon a finding that a patient has been deprived of such a right or benefit, and that the patient has been injured as a result of such deprivation, damages shall be assessed in the amount sufficient to compensate such patient for such injury. In addition, where the deprivation of any such right or benefit is found to have been wilful or in reckless disregard of the rights of the patient, punitive damages may be assessed. A patient may also maintain an action pursuant to this section for any other type of relief, including injunctive and declaratory relief, permitted by law. Exhaustion of any available administrative remedies shall not be required prior to commencement of suit under this section.
(f) In addition to the rights specified in subsections (b), (c) and (d) of this section, a patient in a nursing home facility is entitled to have the facility manage the patient's funds as provided in section 19a-551.
(P.A. 75-468, S. 12, 17; P.A. 76-331, S. 15, 16; P.A. 79-265, S. 2; 79-378; P.A. 80-80; 80-120; P.A. 86-11; P.A. 89-348, S. 4, 10; P.A. 92-231, S. 3, 10; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; 93-327, S. 3; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 96-81, S. 1; P.A. 97-112, S. 2; P.A. 01-195, S. 161, 181; P.A. 02-105, S. 6; P.A. 04-158, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 76-331 rephrased Subdiv. (d) and added provision re transfer or discharge of private patient and added Subdiv. (o) re availability of inspection reports; P.A. 79-265 specified that thirty days' notice is applicable to involuntary transfers or discharges and required notification of personal physician if discharge plan prepared by nursing home medical director under Subdiv. (d); P.A. 79-378 changed alphabetic Subdiv. indicators to numeric indicators and added Subsec. (b) re nursing homes liability if patient not notified of rights and benefits; P.A. 80-80 added Subdiv. (16) in Subsec. (a) re patient-run resident council; P.A. 80-120 added Subdiv. (17) re medical opinions concerning surgery; Sec. 19-622 transferred to Sec. 19a-550 in 1983; P.A. 86-11 applied provisions to chronic disease patients and defined "chronic disease hospital"; P.A. 89-348 inserted new Subsec. (a) defining "nursing home facility" and "chronic disease hospital", relettered the remaining Subsecs., amended Subsec. (b) to expand patients' rights and added Subdivs. (18) to (28) re patients' rights and added a new Subsec. (d) re the management of funds; P.A. 92-231 amended Subsec. (b) by requiring implementation of bill of rights in accordance with Sections 1919(c)(2), 1919(c)(2)(D) and 1919(c)(2)(E) of the Social Security Act and providing that a patient who is a Medicaid recipient may be transferred from a private to a nonprivate room unless such transfer would present imminent danger of death; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department on aging, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-327 amended Subsec. (b) to replace imminent danger of death standard with new Subdivs. (A) re reasonable likelihood of serious physical harm and (B) re exacerbation of psychiatric problems and to provide notice of transfer no more than sixty days prior to transfer; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 96-81 amended Subsec. (a) to define "medically contraindicated", amended Subsec. (b)(4) to specify applicability to patients "in a home for the aged or a chronic disease hospital" and added Subsecs. (c) and (d) re the establishment of a consultative process, conditions for nonconsensual transfers and emergency transfers, relettering Subsecs. (c) and (d) as (e) and (f) (Revisor's note: The Revisors editorially (1) substituted the word "and" for a comma in Subsec. (c) in the phrase "... a registered nurse with responsibility for the patient and other appropriate staff ...", (2) deleted the word "such" in Subsec. (c)(E) in the phrase "... at least thirty days' notice shall ...", and (3) substituted the word "and" for a comma in Subsec. (d)(2) in the phrase "... a registered nurse with responsibility for the patient and other appropriate staff ..."); P.A. 97-112 replaced "home for the aged" with "residential care home"; P.A. 01-195 made technical changes in Subsecs. (a) to (d) and (f), effective July 11, 2001; P.A. 02-105 amended Subsec. (b)(4)(B) by adding that notice of involuntary transfer may be given to a person designated by patient in accordance with Sec. 1-56r, amended Subsec. (b)(15) by adding that patient is assured of private visits with such a designated person and that if patient is married and both patient and spouse are inmates they are permitted to share a room unless medically contraindicated, amended Subsec. (b)(19) by adding that such designated person may meet in the facility with the families of other patients, amended Subsec. (c) by adding that if patient does not consent to a transfer initiated by the facility the consultation process may include such a designated person, amended Subsec. (d) by adding that in the case of the transfer of a Medicaid recipient from a private to a nonprivate room, notice may be given to such a designated person, and by adding that the consultative process may include such a designated person; P.A. 04-158 amended Subsec. (b) to reference Sections 1919(b) and 1919(c) of the Social Security Act re implementation of the patients' bill of rights, amended Subsec. (b)(5) re "right to be fully informed about patients' rights by state or federally funded patient advocacy programs", amended Subsec. (b)(10) to substitute "receives quality care and services" for "receives services", and amended Subsec. (b)(21) to add "developed in accordance with Section 1919(b)(2) of the Social Security Act" re a written plan of care.
Connecticut Patients' Bill of Rights mirrors framework set forth in federal Medicaid Act. 76 CA 800.
Subsec. (b):
Connecticut Patients' Bill of Rights prohibits nursing facility from requiring third party guarantee of payment to the facility as condition of admission (or expedited admission) to, or continued stay in, the facility. 76 CA 800.
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