H. B. 4309
(By Delegates Leach, Michael, Perdue and Susman)
[Introduced
February 5, 2004
; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §9-5-20, relating to
providing for a program intended to divert low-income
residents from early institutionalization in nursing homes by
providing personal home care in their communities.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §9-5-20, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 5. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
§9-5-20. Program to reduce medicaid budget by reducing early
institutionalization.
The division of human services shall develop and implement
during the fiscal year beginning the first day of July, two thousand four, a program consisting of a project-based assisted
living medicaid waiver to be allocated to the housing authorities
for the cities of Huntington, Williamson, Wheeling and Moundsville.
The purpose of the program is to divert nursing home admissions
and to pay for services for low-income seniors in their licensed
personal care homes. The program will determine the financial
viability of a statewide program for all eligible seniors. The
division may contract directly with the housing authorities in each
of these cities to use their facilities for medicaid eligible
residents at high risk for nursing home placement.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for a program
whose purpose is to divert low-income residents from early
institutionalization in nursing homes by providing personal home
care in their communities. The program will determine the
financial viability of a statewide program for all eligible
seniors.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.