§ 17b-617 — Pilot program to provide home care services to disabled persons.

(a) The Commissioner of Social Services shall, within available appropriations, establish and operate a state-funded pilot program to allow not more than one hundred persons with disabilities (1) who are age eighteen to sixty-four, inclusive, (2) who are inappropriately institutionalized or at risk of inappropriate institutionalization, (3) whose assets do not exceed the asset limits of the state-funded home care program for the elderly, established pursuant to subsection (i) of section 17b-342, and (4) who are not eligible for medical assistance under section 17b-261 or a Medicaid waiver pursuant to 42 USC 1396n, to be eligible to receive the same services that are provided under the state-funded home care program for the elderly. At the discretion of the Commissioner of Social Services, such persons may also be eligible to receive services that are necessary to meet needs attributable to disabilities in order to allow such persons to avoid institutionalization. (b) Any person participating in the pilot program whose income exceeds two hundred per cent of the federal poverty level shall contribute to the cost of care in accordance with the methodology established for recipients of medical assistance pursuant to sections 5035.20 and 5035.25 of the department's uniform policy manual. (c) The annualized cost of services provided to an individual under the pilot program shall not exceed fifty per cent of the weighted average cost of care in nursing homes in the state. (d) If the number of persons eligible for the pilot program established pursuant to this section exceeds one hundred persons or if the cost of the program exceeds available appropriations, the commissioner shall establish a waiting list designed to serve applicants by order of application date.

Legislative History

(June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2, S. 29; P.A. 08-88, S. 1; P.A. 14-217, S. 73; P.A. 21-148, S. 8.) History: June Sp. Sess. P.A. 07-2 effective July 1, 2007; P.A. 08-88 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to replace former asset limits of program with asset limits of the state-funded home care program for the elderly, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 14-217 amended Subsecs. (a) and (d) to expand pilot program from 50 persons to 100 persons, effective July 1, 2014; P.A. 21-148 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdiv. (4) re requirement eligible persons not be eligible for medical assistance or a Medicaid waiver, effective July 7, 2021.