(a) For purposes of sections 3-123aa to 3-123ff, inclusive:
(1) “Depositor” means any person making a deposit, payment, contribution, gift or other deposit to the trust pursuant to a participation agreement.
(2) “Designated beneficiary” means any individual who has been designated as a beneficiary in the participation agreement, and may include any individual who enters into a participation agreement or is subsequently designated as a spouse or the partner to a civil union of the designated beneficiary.
(3) “Eligible home care provider” means (A) a provider licensed in Connecticut to perform home care services, (B) a homemaker or companion service that is registered with the Department of Consumer Protection, (C) licensed transportation services, or (D) a personal care assistant.
(4) “Instrumental activities of daily living” means activities related to independent living necessary to maintain an individual in their home or other noninstitutional setting, and includes, but is not limited to, adult day care, chore services, companion services, meal preparation or home-delivered meals, or transportation or homemaker services.
(5) “Participation agreement” means the agreement between the trust and depositors for participation in a savings plan for a designated beneficiary.
(6) “Qualified home care expenses” means the cost of services performed by an eligible home care provider for the instrumental activities of daily living, and the cost of any other service recommended by a physician and provided by an eligible home care provider.
(7) “Trust” means the Connecticut Home Care Trust Fund.
(b) There is established the Connecticut Homecare Option Program for the Elderly, to allow individuals to plan for the cost of services that will allow them to remain in their homes or in a noninstitutional setting as they age. The Comptroller shall establish the Connecticut Home Care Trust Fund, which shall be comprised of individual savings accounts for those qualified home care expenses not covered by a long-term care insurance policy and for those qualified home care expenses that supplement the coverage provided by a long-term care policy or Medicare. Withdrawals from the fund may be used for qualified home care expenses, upon receipt by the fund of a certification signed by a licensed physician or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse that the designated beneficiary is in need of services for the instrumental activities of daily living. Upon the death of a designated beneficiary, any available funds in such beneficiary's account shall be an asset of the estate of such beneficiary.
(c) There is established an advisory committee to the Connecticut Homecare Option Program for the Elderly, which shall consist of the State Treasurer, the State Comptroller, the Commissioner of Social Services, the Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services, the director of the long-term care partnership policy program within the Office of Policy and Management, and the cochairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to aging, human services and finance, revenue and bonding, or their designees. The Governor shall appoint one provider of home care services for the elderly and a physician specializing in geriatric care. The advisory committee shall meet at least annually. The State Comptroller shall convene the meetings of the committee.
(P.A. 07-130, S. 1; P.A. 08-140, S. 2; P.A. 13-97, S. 1; 13-125, S. 23; P.A. 16-39, S. 3; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2, S. 285; P.A. 18-169, S. 11; P.A. 19-157, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 08-140 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding provision re individual “designated as a beneficiary in the participation agreement”, effective July 1, 2008; P.A. 13-97 amended Subsec. (c) to replace reference to select committee on aging with reference to joint standing committee having cognizance of matters relating to aging, effective June 6, 2013; P.A. 13-125 amended Subsec. (c) to replace Commission on Aging representative with Commissioner on Aging as advisory committee member and replace reference to select committee on aging with reference to joint standing committee having cognizance of matters relating to aging, effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 16-39 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re certification signed by advanced practice registered nurse; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 17-2 amended Subsec. (c) by deleting reference to Commissioner on Aging, effective October 31, 2017; P.A. 18-169 amended Subsec. (c) by adding “the Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services,”, effective June 14, 2018; P.A. 19-157 amended Subsec. (c) by replacing Commissioner of Rehabilitation Services with Commissioner of Aging and Disability Services.