Illinois § 12-4.48

§ 12-4.48.

Long-Term Services and Supports Disparities Workgroup. (a) The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall establish a Long-Term Services and Supports Disparities Workgroup of the Medicaid Advisory Committee in accordance with the requirements of 42 CFR 431.12. (b) Members of the Workgroup shall be appointed by the Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services and may include representatives of the following agencies, organizations, or groups: (1) (Blank). (2) (Blank). (3) (Blank). (4) (Blank). (5) (Blank). (6) (Blank). (7) (Blank). (8) Managed Care Plans. (9) The for-profit urban nursing home or assisted living industry. (10) The for-profit rural nursing home or assisted living industry. (11) The not-for-profit nursing home or assisted living industry. (12) The home care association or home care industry. (13) The adult day care association or adult day care industry. (14) An association representing workers who provide long-term services and supports. (15) A representative of providers that serve the predominantly ethnic minority populations. (16) Case Management Organizations. (17) Three consumer representatives which may include a consumer of long-term services and supports or an individual who advocates for such consumers. For purposes of this provision, "consumer representative" means a person who is not an elected official and who has no financial interest in a health or long-term care delivery system. (b-5) In addition, one representative from each of the following may serve ex officio: the Governor's Office; the Department of Healthcare and Family Services; the Department of Human Services; the Department on Aging; the Department of Public Health; and the Department of Human Rights. (c) The Workgroup shall reflect diversity in race, ethnicity, and gender. (d) The Chair of the Workgroup shall be appointed by the Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services. (e) The Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall assign appropriate staff and resources to support the efforts of the Workgroup. The Workgroup shall meet as often as necessary but not less than 4 times per calendar year. (f) The Workgroup shall promote and facilitate communication, coordination, and collaboration among relevant State agencies and communities of color, limited English-speaking communities, and the private and public entities providing services to those communities. (g) The Workgroup shall do all of the following: (1) Document the number and types of Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) providers in the State and the number of clients served in each setting. (2) Document the number and racial profiles of residents using LTSS, including, but not limited to, residential nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, adult day care, home health services, and other home and community based long-term care services. (3) Document the number and profiles of family or informal caregivers who provide care for minority elders. (4) Compare data over multiple years to identify trends in the delivery of LTSS for each racial or ethnic category including: Alaskan Native or American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, black or African American, Hispanic, or white. (5) Identify any racial disparities in the provision of care in various LTSS settings and determine factors that might influence the disparities found. (6) Identify any disparities uniquely experienced in metropolitan or rural areas and make recommendations to address these areas. (7) Assess whether the LTSS industry, including managed care plans and independent providers, is equipped to offer culturally sensitive, competent, and linguistically appropriate care to meet the needs of a diverse aging population and their informal and formal caregivers. (8) Consider whether to recommend that the State require all home and community based services as a condition of licensure to report data similar to that gathered under the Minimum Data Set and required when a new resident is admitted to a nursing home. (9) Identify and prioritize recommendations for actions to be taken by the State to address disparity issues identified in the course of these studies. (10) Monitor the progress of the State in eliminating racial disparities in the delivery of LTSS. (h) The Workgroup may conduct public hearings, inquiries, studies, and other forms of information gathering to identify how the actions of State government contribute to or reduce racial disparities in long-term care settings. (i) The Workgroup shall report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly with annual reports and shall include documentation of progress made to eliminate disparities in long-term care service settings. (Source: P.A. 103-508, eff. 8-4-23.)