RESEARCH ON LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.

SEC. 207. RESEARCH ON LONG-TERM CARE SERVICES FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES. (a) In General.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, from the funds appropriated under subsection (b), shall provide for research on issues relating to the delivery and financing of long-term care services for medicare beneficiaries. Such research shall include research into at least the following areas: (1) The financial characteristics of medicare beneficiaries who receive or need long-term care services, including whether such beneficiaries are eligible for medicare benefits for such services. (2) How the financial and other characteristics of medicare beneficiaries affect their utilization of institutional and noninstitutional long-term care services. (3) How relatives of medicare beneficiaries are affected financially and in other ways because the beneficiaries require or receive long-term care services. (4) The quality of long-term care services (in community-based and custodial settings) and how the provision of long-term care services may reduce expenditures for acute health care services. (5) The effectiveness of, and need for, State and Federal consumer protections which assure adequate access to and protect the rights of medicare beneficiaries who are provided long-term care services (other than in a nursing facility). (b) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated, in equal parts from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and from the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund, $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993 to carry out the research described in subsection (a). (c) Long-Term Care Services Defined.—In this section, the term “long-term care services” includes nursing home care, home care, community-based services, and custodial care. (d) Reports.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit interim reports by December 1, 1990, and by December 1, 1992, and a final report by June 1, 1994, concerning the demonstration projects conducted under this section.