Sponsored by:
Senator EDWARD DURR
District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes review period and back-out period for nursing home contracts.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning nursing homes and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Each nursing home shall provide its nursing home residency contract and all other admission materials to a prospective resident, or to the prospective resident’s family or legal representative, at least seven days before the prospective resident will commence residing at the nursing home.
b. For a period of seven days after a resident is admitted to a nursing home, the resident, or the resident’s family or legal representative, shall have the right to cancel the nursing home residency contract for any reason. The nursing home shall not assess any penalty against a nursing home resident who exercises the right established under this subsection, but the nursing home may bill the resident for each day during which the resident resided at the facility, which amount shall not exceed the facility’s standard per diem residency rate.
c. A prospective nursing home resident, or the prospective resident’s family or legal representative, shall have the right to waive the requirements of subsection a. of this section. In no case may a prospective nursing home resident, or the prospective resident’s family or legal representative, waive the requirements of subsection b. of this section.
2. This act shall take effect the first day of the second month next following the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes a review period and a no-obligation cancellation period for nursing home contracts.
Specifically, the bill requires nursing homes to provide their nursing home residency contracts and all other admission materials to a prospective resident, or to the prospective resident’s family or legal representative, at least seven days before the prospective resident will commence residing at the nursing home.
Additionally, the bill provides that, for a period of seven days after a resident is admitted to a nursing home, the resident, or the resident’s family or legal representative, will have the right to cancel the nursing home residency contract for any reason. The nursing home will be prohibited from assessing a penalty against a resident who exercises this right, but the nursing home may bill the resident for each day during which the resident was at the facility, in an amount that does not exceed the facility’s standard per diem residency rate.
A prospective nursing home resident, or the prospective resident’s family or legal representative, will have the right to waive the review period requirements of the bill, but not the cancellation period requirements of the bill.