It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 23-17.16-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17.16 entitled "Home Care Patient Rights" is hereby amended to read as follows:

23-17.16-2. Rights of home care patients/clients. -- Each home care patient/client has the following rights:

(1) To receive services without regard to race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or source of payment.

(2) To receive safe, appropriate and high quality care and services in a timely manner with consideration, dignity, respect and privacy.

(3) To accept or refuse care and to be informed of the consequences of such action.

(4) To be free from mental or physical abuse, physical punishment, neglect, damage to or theft of property, or exploitation of any kind.

(5) To have his or her property treated with respect.

(6) To exercise his or her rights as a patient/client of the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency. When the patient/client is unable to exercise his or her rights, an agent or legal guardian may exercise the patient's/client's rights.

(7) To be informed, in advance, about the care to be furnished (and not to be furnished), the plan of care, and of any changes in the care to be furnished before the change is made.

(8) To help plan the care and services received or to help change the care and services.

(9) To be advised in advance of the disciplines that will furnish care, the frequency of visits proposed to be furnished, and the names and qualifications of all individuals providing care.

(10) To receive information necessary to make decisions about care (or to have a family member receive such information, as appropriate) and to have access to their records.

(11) To receive information and counseling about advanced directives such as the living will and durable power of attorney for health care, to formulate advanced directives, and to receive written information about the policy of the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency on client advanced directives and state COMFORT ONE protocol.

(12) To have his or her personal and clinical records treated and maintained in a confidential manner and to be advised by the agency of its policies and procedures regarding disclosure of clinical records.

(13) To be advised, before care is initiated, if the provider is a full participating provider in the patient's/client's health care plan, the cost of services, the extent to which payment for the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency services may be expected from insurance, government and other sources, and the extent to which payment may be required from the patient/client and the charges they will be required to pay.

(14) To be informed of the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency's billing procedures and the patient/client payment responsibilities.

(15) To be informed of the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency's ownership and control.

(16) To be informed of any experimental research or investigational activities and the right to refuse such.

(17) To voice grievances (or to have the patient's/client's family or guardian voice grievances on the patient's/client's behalf if the patient/client is unable to do so) regarding treatment or care that is (or fails to be) furnished, or regarding the lack of respect for property by anyone who is furnishing services on behalf of the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency; to be advised on how to voice grievances; and not to be subjected to discrimination or reprisal for doing so.

(18) To have the patient's/client's complaints investigated, or complaints made by the patient's/client's family or guardian, regarding treatment or care that is (or fails to be) furnished, or regarding the lack of respect for the patient/client or the patient's/client's property by anyone furnishing services on behalf of the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency, and the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency must document both the existence of the complaint and the resolution of the complaint.

(19) To be informed in writing of his or her rights to appeal a determination or decision made by the home nursing care provider or home care provider agency with regard to eligibility for service, the types or levels of service in the care plan, a termination or change in service, or if the patient/client feels that his or her rights under this chapter have been violated.

(20) To be advised in writing of the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the state ombudsperson, the attorney general's medicaid fraud control unit, the state licensing agency and the availability of the state toll-free home health hotline, the hours of its operation, and that the purpose of the hotline is to receive complaints or questions about local home nursing care providers or home care providers.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.