PennsylvaniaNursing homes would tell residents about lawyers for Medicaid applications
Long-term nursing homes would give incoming residents or their representatives a notice explaining that lawyers can help them apply for Medicaid long-term care benefits.
What it does
Long-term nursing homes would give residents or their representatives a notice at admission about optional legal help with Medicaid long-term care applications. It would warn about nonlegal services and mention possible free legal help.
Residents or their representatives would receive an understandable notice separately from the resident agreement and sign for receipt. Nursing homes would display it prominently, and state officials would post it online.
Argument forThe notice could help residents choose application help by explaining limits on nonlegal services and pointing them toward possible free legal assistance.
Argument againstWarnings about nonlegal services could discourage residents from using free application help, even though hiring a lawyer would remain optional.
More detail
Long-term nursing home operators would give the notice to residents or their designated representatives at admission. A designated representative means a guardian, someone authorized by a power of attorney, or another responsible party identified in the resident agreement. The notice would explain that hiring a lawyer is optional, warn about nonlegal application services, and give contacts for finding legal help. Free legal assistance would depend on eligibility. The requirements would take effect immediately upon enactment.
Operators would provide an understandable notice separately from the resident agreement and prominently display it in the office and admission area. The resident or representative would sign to acknowledge receipt. Operators would also make a copy available at the same time and in the same manner as the resident agreement. State officials would post it online in languages or formats they consider necessary. Facilities could use that version or their own form containing the required notice.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Oct 20Second considerationLatest
- Oct 19First considerationMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Health & Human Services): Reported as Committed. Result: pass.Upper
- Oct 19Reported as committedMinor
- Jan 30Referred to Health & Human ServicesMinor
- Jan 28Third consideration and final passagePassed House
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Appropriations): Re-report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 28Re-reported as committedMinor
- 2025
- Dec 17Re-committed to AppropriationsMinor
- Dec 17Second considerationMinor
- Dec 16Removed from table
- Sep 10Laid on the table
- Sep 10Re-reported as committedMinor
- Jun 25Re-committed to RulesMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Health): Report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 25First considerationMinor
- Jun 25Reported as committedMinor
- Jun 10Re-referred to HealthMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Human Services): Re-refer Bill To Another Committee. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 10Reported with request to re-refer to HealthMinor
- Jan 27Referred to Human ServicesIntroduced
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