Medicare Long Term Care Act of 1979

Medicare Long-Term Care Act of 1979 - Repeals existing provisions for post-hospital home health services under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act.

Establishes, within the hospital insurance program of such title, a program of long-term care benefits to be provided for aged and disabled individuals including all recipients of supplemental security income benefits and to be financed without additional cost to such individuals, through the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, from funds appropriated by the Federal Government.

States that the benefits provided to an individual by such program shall consist of: (1) home health services; (2) homemaker services; (3) nutrition services; (4) long-term institutional care services; (5) day care and foster home services; and (6) community mental health center outpatient services.

Requires that, to the maximum extent possible, such benefits shall be provided by or through community long-term care centers, as defined in this Act; and, in any case where a State has an agency which performs the functions of planning and developing such centers and overseeing their operation the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare shall make grants to the State or State agency to reimburse it for expenses incurred in the performance of such functions.

Directs the Secretary to pay 75 percent of the amount expended by a State for the operation of a State long-term care agency. Enumerates the functions of such an agency.

Declares that a community long-term care center shall: (1) provide the items and services listed in this Act to each individual (A) who is eligible for benefits under this part, (B) who resides in the area served by such center and (C) who is certified as requiring such services; (2) evaluate and certify the long-term care needs of an individual for whom such care may be required in order to maintain such individual in an independent living arrangement which is reasonable given such individual's state of health and other circumstances (but not including such individual's economic circumstances); (3) maintain a continuous relationship with (and periodically evaluate not less than annually) each individual who is receiving any of the items and services listed in this Act; (4) provide full opportunity for such individual and his family to participate in the determinations and functions under this Act; (5) provide an organized system for making its existence and location known to all individuals in its service area who are eligible for benefits under this part, and for making known to such individuals the method or methods by which they may most efficiently obtain and use the services which it makes available; and (6) perform such other functions as the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare may by regulation prescribe in order to have such center most effectively carry out the purposes of this Act.

Defines terms used in this Act, including the services to be provided by community long-term care centers.

Directs the Secretary to develop and promulgate to community long-term care centers one or more methods of obtaining payment for the benefits covered under this Act.

Requires the Secretary to prescribe regulations setting forth the standards of care for homemaker and nutritional services.

Establishes the Federal Advisory Council on Long-Term Care. Sets forth the qualifications of the five members of such Council.

States that it shall be the duty and function of the Council to provide advice and recommendations for the consideration of the Secretary on regulations under this Act and on matters of general policy with respect to this Act. States that no regulations of the Secretary under this Act shall become effective unless they have first been approved by the Council.

States that the determination of whether an individual is entitled to benefits under this Act shall be made by the Secretary in accordance with regulations prescribed by him.

Authorizes the appropriation to the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund of such sums as the Secretary considers necessary for any fiscal year for the purposes of the program created by this Act.

Authorizes the Secretary to make grants and enter into contracts with institutions to meet the cost of training programs in the techniques and methods of providing long-term health care.