SENATE BILL 275

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Stuart Ingle

AN ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH CARE; REQUIRING CONTRACTS FOR NURSING HOME SERVICES TO CONTAIN A REFUND POLICY UPON TERMINATION OF A CONTRACT DUE TO THE DEATH OF THE RESIDENT; PROVIDING FOR STORAGE OF A RESIDENT'S BELONGINGS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public Health Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] NURSING HOME CONTRACTS--LIMIT ON CHARGES AFTER RESIDENT DEATH.--

          A. The contract for each resident of a nursing home shall include a refund policy to be implemented at the time of a resident's death. The refund policy shall provide that the resident's estate or responsible party is entitled to a prorated refund based on the calculated daily rate for any unused portion of payment beyond the termination date after all charges have been paid to the licensee. For the purpose of this section, the termination date shall be the date the unit is vacated by the resident due to the resident's death and cleared of all personal belongings.

          B. If a resident's belongings are not removed within one week of the resident's death and the amount of belongings does not preclude renting the unit, the facility may clear the unit and charge the resident's estate for moving and storing the items at a rate equal to the actual cost to the facility, not to exceed ten percent of the regular rate for the unit; provided that the responsible party for the resident is given notice at least one week before the resident's belongings are removed. If the resident's belongings are not claimed within forty-five days after notification, the facility may dispose of them.

          C. For the purposes of this section, "nursing home" means any nursing institution or facility required to be licensed under state law as a nursing facility by the public health division of the department of health, whether proprietary or nonprofit, including skilled nursing home facilities, and whether a separate entity or a part of a medical institutional facility."

     SECTION 2. APPLICABILITY.--The provisions of this act apply to contracts entered into or renewed after July 1, 2012.