Bolinsky Opposes Burdensome New Regulations on Nursing Homes

HARTFORD- State Rep. Mitch Bolinsky (R-106 Newtown) voted ‘NO’ on an anti-business proposal to require the annual cost reports of for-profit nursing homes to include financial information of other third party businesses they do business with.

The bill seeks public disclosure of the annual profit-and-loss statement for private companies with expenses of more than $50,000 between related businesses of the nursing homes, such as separate subsidiaries that handle laundry, food, rehabilitation, accounting, or management services.

During debate it was disclosed that if a private company does $10 million worth of business overall and more than $50,000 worth of business with the nursing home, details about the full $10 million worth of business would need to be disclosed under the law through the state Freedom of Information Act.

Rep. Bolinsky said, “This is yet another example of this governor’s and legislature’s predisposition to pile on more onerous anti-business policies that act to punish job creators in this state with punitive, unfair and downright inflammatory regulations which make it harder to do business here. Connecticut’s economy continues to lag, along with employment. The business of this legislative session is supposed to be job creation and economic development. This legislation flies in the face of those who invest in our state and create jobs.”

The proposal also intends to shield the state, DSS, and any of its employees from lawsuits arising from the department’s failure to take action for the information provided in the reports. It is unclear how broad that immunity would be by this language.

According to state officials, of 227 nursing homes in Connecticut, 154 are for-profit and 73 are non-profit. The bill, however, covers only for-profit nursing homes, meaning that 73 homes would not be required to comply with the new regulations.