(a) For purposes of this section, “specialized long-term care” means goal-oriented, comprehensive, inpatient care designed for a patient with an acute illness, injury or exacerbation of a disease process. Most patients receiving such care shall not require high-technology monitoring or complex diagnostic procedures. Such care requires a specifically designed program of coordinated services of an interdisciplinary team, including, but not limited to, physicians, nurses and professionals in other relevant disciplines.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes or the regulations of Connecticut state agencies, the Department of Social Services shall establish a demonstration project which shall provide specialized long-term care for chronically disabled and dependent patients with traumatic head, brain or spinal cord injuries, who are ventilator dependent, or suffer severe neurological dysfunction and disorders, including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and such other similar chronic medical conditions as the Commissioner of Social Services deems appropriate.

(c) Said demonstration project shall be conducted in no more than three facilities, involving up to seventy-five existing licensed beds, that are specifically equipped and staffed for such purpose. Said demonstration project shall supplement a facility’s scope of services and, if necessary, modify its physical environment to improve access for patients with specific chronic medical conditions, provide care that meets such patient’s specialized health, social and environmental needs, particularly those of children and young adults, and evaluate the optimum design for such programs.

(d) Said demonstration project shall establish rates based on costs related to patient care. Said demonstration project shall be designed for this specific patient population and shall not necessarily require separate facilities or special units.

(e) Said demonstration project shall address the different needs of (1) a child or young adult with specific chronic medical conditions, and (2) an elderly patient in either a hospital or a skilled nursing home.

(f) Said demonstration project shall restrict direct patient ventilator care to appropriately licensed health care providers.

(g) The commissioner shall issue a request for proposals for acute care hospitals, chronic disease hospitals and skilled nursing homes interested in participating in said demonstration project. Proposals shall identify: (1) The population to be served; (2) the specific services to be provided and budgeted for; (3) the number of existing licensed beds to be designated for said demonstration project; and (4) the evaluation process of said demonstration project. In approving said demonstration project, the commissioner shall consider, to the extent possible, geographic distribution.

(h) The commissioner may increase the number of facilities participating in the demonstration project from three to four on or after January 1, 2000. The commissioner may issue a request for proposals or select from respondents to a request for proposals issued to select the initial three demonstration project facilities.