Community Based Independence for Seniors Act

To establish a Community-Based Institutional Special Needs Plan demonstration program to target home and community-based care to eligible Medicare beneficiaries. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Community Based Independence for Seniors Act 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Community-based services play an essential role in keeping individuals healthy. (2) Without community-based long-term services and supports, which are not typically covered by Medicare, seniors frequently experience negative health outcomes and lose their ability to live independently. (3) Seniors who deplete their resources often have no option but to turn to Medicaid for coverage of long-term care expenses. (4) Targeting community-based services and supports to at-risk seniors can help these individuals avoid depleting their assets and becoming Medicaid dependent. 3. Community-based institutional special needs plan demonstration (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the Secretary CBI-SNP demonstration program (b) Establishment (1) In general The Secretary shall enter into agreements with up to 5 Medicare Advantage plans to conduct the CBI-SNP demonstration program. Each such MA plan may enroll up to 1,000 eligible Medicare beneficiaries (including new enrollees) in such program. (2) Benefits Under the CBI-SNP demonstration program, eligible Medicare beneficiaries shall receive benefits, in addition to those under part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (including benefits under section 1852(a)(3) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w22(a)(3) 42 U.S.C. 1396n(c) (A) homemaker services; (B) home delivered meals; (C) transportation services; (D) respite care; (E) adult day care services; and (F) non-Medicare-covered safety and other equipment. (3) Payments The Secretary shall establish a benchmark payment amount for reimbursing Medicare Advantage plans participating in the CBI-SNP demonstration program for benefits provided to eligible beneficiaries under such program. Such payments shall be in addition to payments made to such plans under part C of title XVIII of the Social Security Act. (c) Eligible plans To be eligible to participate in the CBI-SNP demonstration program, a Medicare Advantage plan must— (1) have experience in offering special needs plans for nursing home-eligible, non-institutionalized Medicare beneficiaries who live in the community; (2) have experience working with low income seniors groups; (3) be located in a State that the Secretary has determined will participate in the CBI-SNP demonstration program by agreeing to make available data necessary for purposes of conducting the independent evaluation required under subsection (h); and (4) meet such other criteria as the Secretary may require. (d) Eligible Medicare beneficiary defined In this section, the term eligible Medicare beneficiary (1) is enrolled or eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that has been selected to participate in the CBI-SNP demonstration program; (2) is a subsidy eligible individual (as defined in section 1860D–14(a)(3)(A) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w114(a)(3)(A) (3) is not eligible to receive benefits under title XIX of the Social Security Act; (4) is unable to perform 2 or more activities of daily living (as defined in section 7702B(c)(2)(B) (5) is age 65 or older. (e) Special election period Notwithstanding sections 1852(e)(2)(C) and 1860D–1(b)(1)(B)(iii) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w–21(e)(2)(C) (1) discontinue enrollment in a Medicare Advantage plan not participating in the CBI-SNP demonstration program and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan participating in such program; and (2) discontinue enrollment under the original medicare fee-for-service program under parts A and B of such title and the enrollment in a prescription drug plan under part D of such title and enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan participating in the CBI-SNP demonstration program. (f) Beneficiary education The Secretary shall help to educate eligible Medicare beneficiaries on the availability of the CBI-SNP demonstration program through State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and other organizations dedicated to assisting seniors with Medicare benefits and enrollment. (g) Implementation (1) Deadline The CBI-SNP demonstration program shall be implemented not later than January 1, 2017. (2) Duration Subject to paragraph (3), the CBI-SNP demonstration program shall be conducted for a period of 5 years. (3) Extension or expansion Taking into account the report under subsection (h)(2), the Secretary may, through rulemaking, expand (including implementation on a nationwide or permanent basis) the duration or the scope CBI-SNP demonstration program to the extent determined appropriate by the Secretary, unless the Secretary determines that such expansion is expected to— (A) increase expenditures under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act with respect to eligible Medicare beneficiaries participating in the CBI-SNP demonstration program; or (B) decrease the quality of health care services furnished to eligible Medicare beneficiaries participating in the CBI-SNP demonstration program. (h) Independent evaluation and reports (1) Independent evaluation The Secretary shall provide for the evaluation of the CBI-SNP demonstration program by an independent third party. Such evaluation shall be completed using evaluation criteria that are clearly articulated prior to the implementation of such program. Such criteria shall include specific goals of such program, hypotheses being tested, clear data collection and reporting requirements, recognizing that definitions, benefits and program requirements for long-term care services and supports vary across States. Such evaluation shall determine whether the CBI-SNP demonstration program has— (A) improved patient care; (B) reduced hospitalizations or rehospitalizations; (C) reduced or delayed Medicaid nursing facility admissions and lengths of stay; (D) reduced spend down of income and assets for purposes of becoming eligible for Medicaid; and (E) improved quality of life for the demonstration population and beneficiary and caregiver satisfaction. (2) Reports Not later than 4 years after the implementation of the CBI-SNP demonstration program, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the evaluation conducted under paragraph (1), together with such recommendations for legislative or administrative action as the Secretary determines appropriate. In preparing such report, the Secretary shall use at least 3 years worth of data under the demonstration program. (i) Budget neutrality By the end of the third year of the CBI-SNP demonstration program, the Secretary shall ensure that the aggregate payments made under titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act, including under the demonstration program, for subsequent periods do not exceed the amount which the Secretary estimates would have been expended under such titles during such a period if the CBI-SNP demonstration program had not been implemented. (j) Paperwork reduction act Chapter 35

Summary: Community Based Independence for Seniors Act (Sec. 3) This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a five-year Community-Based Institutional Special Needs Plan demonstration program to prevent and delay institutionalization under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSAct) among eligible low-income Medicare beneficiaries age 65 or older. HHS shall enter into agreements with up to five eligible Medicare Advantage (MA) plans under part C (Medicare+Choice) of SSAct title XVIII (Medicare) to conduct the demonstration program. Each eligible MA plan may enroll up to 1,000 eligible low-income Medicare beneficiaries in such program. A participating MA plan shall use the rebate the plan must provide to eligible low-income Medicare enrollees to furnish certain benefits, including homemaker services, home delivered meals, transportation services, respite care, adult day care services, and non-Medicare-covered safety and other equipment. HHS shall help to educate eligible Medicare beneficiaries about the availability of the demonstration program through State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and other organizations dedicated to assisting seniors with Medicare benefits and enrollment. The demonstration program shall be implemented by January 1, 2018. HHS shall arrange for an independent third party evaluation of the demonstration program, on the basis of which its duration and scope may be expanded. Funding for the demonstration program shall come out of the Medicare trust funds.