Title: Granny Pods Study Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Granny Pods Study Act of 2020
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to study the provision of certain long-term care services for physically or mentally impaired individuals through temporary family health care structures (also known as granny pods).
Specifically, the CMS must (1) identify services that are already covered by Medicare or Medicaid that could be provided in temporary family health care structures by caregivers, (2) determine reasonable reimbursement rates for such services, and (3) provide the cost differential between such rates and the rates for services provided in nursing facilities.
The bill defines temporary family health care structure as a transportable residential structure that helps a caregiver (i.e., adult relative) of an individual who is mentally or physically impaired to care for the individual. The structure must have been primarily assembled at a different location from where it is installed, may be no larger than 300 gross square feet, and must be limited to only one occupant (the individual in need of care).

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7493 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7493

  To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services to conduct a study on temporary family health care structures.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 6, 2020

 Mr. Griffith introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
Services to conduct a study on temporary family health care structures.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Granny Pods Study Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON TEMPORARY FAMILY HEALTH CARE STRUCTURES.

    (a) Study.--The Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid shall conduct a study on provision of long term care to 
mentally or physically impaired individuals using temporary family 
health care structures. The study shall include:
            (1) An identification of the services currently covered by 
        Medicare program or the Medicaid program that could reasonably 
        be provided in a temporary family health care structure by a 
        caregiver or a home health provider.
            (2) A determination of reasonable reimbursement rates for 
        those services identified under paragraph (1) provided in a 
        temporary family health care structure setting.
            (3) The cost differential between such rates and the rates 
        for such services furnished in a nursing facility.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination 
with other Federal agencies, if appropriate, shall submit to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a 
report on the activities undertaken pursuant to subsection (a) and the 
results of the study conducted under such subsection.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Temporary family health care structure.--The term 
        ``temporary family health care structure'' means a 
        transportable residential structure, providing an environment 
        facilitating a caregiver's provision of care for a mentally or 
        physically impaired individual, that--
                    (A) is primarily assembled at a location other than 
                its site of installation;
                    (B) is limited to one occupant who shall be the 
                mentally or physically impaired person; and
                    (C) has no more than 300 gross square feet.
            (2) Long term care.--The term ``long term care'' means care 
        equivalent to that which would be covered by the Medicare or 
        Medicaid program in a residential nursing facility if furnished 
        to a beneficiary under such program.
            (3) Caregiver.--The term ``caregiver'' means an adult who 
        provides care for a mentally or physically impaired person. A 
        caregiver shall be either related by blood, marriage, or 
        adoption to, or the legally appointed guardian of, the mentally 
        or physically impaired person for whom the caregiver is caring.
            (4) Mentally or physically impaired individual.--The term 
        ``mentally or physically impaired individual'' means an 
        individual who qualifies for benefits under the Medicare or 
        Medicaid program and requires assistance with two or more 
        activities of daily living, as certified in writing provided by 
        a physician licensed by the State in which the individual 
        resides.
                                 <all>