Bill > HB654

This bill modifies how new nursing facility licenses are granted in Louisiana by establishing a "facility need review" process. The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) will now periodically assess the need for additional nursing facility beds in each parish, considering factors like the number of elderly residents and existing licensed beds. If a parish needs a moderate number of new beds (30-120), the LDH will accept applications to expand existing high-quality facilities, defined by a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) star rating of over three stars in staffing and quality measures. For parishes needing more than 120 beds, the LDH will accept applications for new facilities with 120 beds. The bill outlines an application process with specific evaluation criteria, prioritizing applicants with experience, high-quality facilities, and those committed to private rooms and adequate space per bed. Applicants are defined as entities owning at least five percent of a Louisiana nursing home, and their CMS star rating will be a cumulative average of all their facilities. New facilities must be owned and operated by the same entity, and licensees have one year to begin construction after a license is granted, or the license will be reissued. This review process does not apply to replacing existing facilities without increasing bed count, replacing nursing home beds with adult residential care home beds under specific conditions, or nursing home beds in alternate use. The bill also repeals an existing law related to nursing facilities.