(a) If a hospital recommends home health care to a patient, the hospital discharge plan shall include two or more available options of home health care agencies or hospice agencies.

Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 19a-504d

  • Home health care agency: means a public or private organization, or a subdivision thereof, engaged in providing professional nursing services and the following services, available twenty-four hours per day, in the patient's home or a substantially equivalent environment: Home health aide services as defined in this section, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy or medical social services. See Connecticut General Statutes 19a-490
  • Hospice agency: means a public or private organization that provides home care and hospice services to terminally ill patients. See Connecticut General Statutes 19a-490
  • Hospital: means an establishment for the lodging, care and treatment of persons suffering from disease or other abnormal physical or mental conditions and includes inpatient psychiatric services in general hospitals. See Connecticut General Statutes 19a-490

(b) A hospital which (1) has an ownership or investment interest in a home health care agency or hospice agency, or (2) receives compensation or remuneration for referral of patients to a home health care agency or hospice agency shall disclose such interest to any patient prior to including such agency as an option in a hospital discharge plan. Such information shall be verbally disclosed to each patient or shall be posted in a conspicuous place visible to patients. As used in this subsection, “ownership or investment interest” does not include ownership of investment securities purchased by the practitioner on terms available to the general public and which are publicly traded.