An Act To Assist Nursing Homes In The Management Of Facility Beds

This bill assists nursing homes in Maine by adjusting how the state calculates financial penalties and reimbursement rates related to facility bed management. It specifically allows nursing facilities to voluntarily reduce their licensed bed count without incurring occupancy penalties and ensures that costs for medical directors are included in reimbursement calculations. Additionally, the legislation removes a requirement to treat computer and cloud-based software costs as fixed expenses for reimbursement purposes. The bill also authorizes funding for a new part-time office associate position within the Department of Health and Human Services to handle increased administrative responsibilities.