BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 675
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Date of Hearing: August 19, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
SB 675
(Liu) - As Amended July 16, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
No
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes requirements related to family caregivers
of patients being discharged from a hospital. Specifically,
this bill requires a hospital to:
SB 675
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1)Provide each patient, as part of the discharge planning
process, an opportunity to identify a family caregiver who may
assist in post hospital care.
2)Provide an opportunity for the patient and his or her family
caregiver to engage in the discharge planning process.
3)Ensure that discharge planning is appropriate to the condition
and acuity of the patient and the location to where the
patient will be discharged.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Minor and absorbable costs to the California Department of
Public Health (CDPH) to verify hospital compliance (Licensing
and Certification Fund).
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, unpaid family caregivers
provide the majority of long-term care (LTC) support for their
loved ones, yet the health and LTC system is slow to recognize
them as partners. This bill is intended to formally recognize
family caregivers and ensure they get information and support
they need to successfully care for their loved ones
post-discharge.
2)Background. According to the Select Committee on Aging and
Long-Term Care's 2014 report, A Shattered System: Reforming
Long Term Care in California, one of the critical areas
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needing reform is hospital-to-home transitions. This bill is
consistent with the report's recommendations to enact
legislation requiring hospitals to provide greater recognition
to, and support for, caregivers.
3)Related Legislation. ACR 38 (Brown), pending on the Senate
Appropriations Committee suspense file, establishes a task
force on family caregiving with twenty members appointed by
the Senate and Assembly. It also requires the task force to
consider issues relating to family caregivers and report to
the Legislature on those issues no later than July 1, 2018.
Analysis Prepared by:Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081