STORM SEEKS TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR KENTUCKY’S ELDERLY

STORM SEEKS TO IMPROVE AND EXPAND MEDICAL

AND SOCIAL SERVICES FOR KENTUCKY’S ELDERLY

FRANKFORT, KY (March 6, 2024)—Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, introduced Senate Bill 297 (SB 297) to the Senate Health Services Committee on Wednesday. If enacted, it would expand and improve the program of all-inclusive care for the elderly, also known as PACE.

PACE provides comprehensive medical and social services to certain frail, elderly participants still living in the community. Most of the participants in PACE are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. A PACE organization is a non-profit private or public entity that has met the required criteria and primarily provides PACE health care services.

SB 297 establishes the National Background Check Program (NBCP), an enhanced employment background check screening process for health facilities or services related to elderly care facilities. It clarifies that PACE and PACE service providers are not required to obtain a health facility license or certificate of need to offer PACE services. Additionally, it states that PACE service providers are eligible to participate and enroll in the NBCP for conducting employment background checks.

“I’m excited to pass this bill because it will reduce burdens on PACE and our state’s largest executive branch agency, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. More importantly, it will ensure patient safety,” Storm said.

The Senate Health Services Committee approved the measure and now qualifies it for consideration by the full Senate.

Find SB 297 and more information on Storm by visiting legislature.ky.gov.

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Sen. Brandon J. Storm, R-London, represents the 21st Senate District, including Casey, Lincoln, Laurel, and Rockcastle Counties. He recently graduated from the esteemed Henry Toll Fellowship and was the only Kentuckian to participate in the 2023 program. Sen. Storm serves as a Senate member of the Interim Joint Committees of Banking and Insurance; Economic Development and Workforce Investment; Judiciary; Local Government; State Government; Transportation; and Tourism, Small Business and Information Technology. He also serves as the co-chair of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee; a member of the Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force; and a member of the Multimodal Freight Transportation System Improvement Task Force.

For a high-resolution .jpeg of Storm, please visit: https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=121. 

Please visit Legislature.ky.gov for more information on Senate Majority Caucus members and the 2024 Legislative Session, such as committee schedules, membership, legislation, and more.

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