OAR 411-045-0050: Enrollment

(1) ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to enroll in a PACE program a person must: (a) Reside in the PACE program's approved service area upon enrollment; (b) Be 55 years of age or older; (c) Be able to be maintained in a community-based setting at the time of enrollment without jeopardizing his or her health or safety or the health and safety of others; (d) Be determined by the local Department/AAA agency to need the level of care required under Oregon's State Medicaid Plan for coverage of nursing facility services in accordance with the rules in OAR chapter 411, division 15 (Long-Term Care Service Priorities for Individuals Served); (e) Be Medicaid eligible or be willing to pay private fees; and (f) Be willing to abide by the provision that requires enrollees to receive all health and long term care services exclusively from the PACE program and its contracted or referred providers. (2) The criteria for determining that an individual is unable to live safely in the community and thereby may be denied enrollment is as follows: (a) The individual demonstrates imminent danger to self or others in accordance with the definition in OAR 411-015-0005; (b) There is evidence in the individual's clinical record that shows he or she has been repeatedly placed in appropriate care settings and, despite medically appropriate treatment, placement has resulted in frequent hospitalizations or failed placements; (c) At the time of application, the individual is determined to be eligible for enhanced care services or long term care at Oregon State Hospital by either the enhanced care Services Coordinator or the OSH Gero-Psychiatric Outreach Team; (d) At the time of application, the individual has a physician documented condition that meets the criteria for Medicare skilled care and does not appear to be able to be discharged to the community within the next 30 days; or (e) At the time of application, the applicant lives in his or her own home and wishes to remain there but requires 24-hour care to remain safely in their home. (3) If either the PACE program or the local Department/AAA case manager has concerns about the safety of a potential enrollee, a case conference may be convened to review the case with outside consultants as needed for further evaluation. (4) ENROLLMENT/SCREENING AND INTAKE: (a) Department/AAA staff processes an application for Medicaid services and determines the level of care required under Oregon's State Medicaid Plan for coverage of nursing facility services. Department/AAA staff follows the appropriate PACE enrollment protocols as outlined in the Department/AAA Policy Manuals. (b) Department/AAA staff conducts initial screening and intake, including providing assistance in completing the application and obtaining relevant information. (c) The Department provides for the calculation of any applicable spend-down liability and for post-eligibility treatment of income for Medicaid participants in the same manner as the Department treats spend-down liability and post-eligibility income for individuals receiving Medicaid home and community-based services (OAR 461-160-0620). (d) The Department/AAA staff forwards intake information of potential enrollees to the PACE program staff who assesses the applicant's appropriateness for enrollment in the PACE program in accordance with these rules and the requirements of 42 CFR 460.152. Potential enrollees may be denied enrollment by the PACE program if the PACE program determines the individual is not able to be maintained in a community-based setting without jeopardizing his or her health or safety or the health and safety of others. (e) If the potential enrollee or his or her representative is in disagreement with the PACE program's decision not to enroll the person, he or she may file an appeal with the Department. (f) All letters to applicants regarding denial of enrollment by the PACE program must include the reason for the denial and the applicants appeal rights. This letter along with documentation of pertinent information related to the decision must be forwarded to the Department for review.