Homecare Quality Assurance Act of 1986

Homecare Quality Assurance Act of 1986 - Adds a new title XXI to the Social Security Act entitled "Homecare Quality Assurance." Defines "homecare services" to include home help services (i.e., homemaker, personal care, and sitter services) and Medicare (title XVIII of the Act) home health services. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate a homecare consumer's bill of rights which includes rights: (1) facilitating consumer participation in the planning and delivery of services; (2) requiring consumer notification regarding services, charges for services, and the termination or reduction of services; (3) protecting consumer dignity, privacy, and property; and (4) ensuring service from properly trained and competent individuals.

Requires homecare providers to: (1) satisfy Medicare home care agency requirements, unless they provide only home help services; (2) provide consumers with copies of the homecare bill of rights; (3) implement grievance review procedures and provide copies of such procedures to consumers; (4) provide consumers with schedules of the services to be provided; (5) have methods for identifying and reviewing a homecare consumer's needs and coordinating the provision of services with other providers; and (6) receive training and disclose the extent of such training to consumers. Conditions coverage of durable medical equipment services on providers: (1) issuing written instructions to and training the homecare consumer and staff in the operation of such equipment; and (2) formulating an emergency plan for providing services to the consumer. Authorizes the Secretary to modify homecare requirements to meet the circumstances of individual providers, but prohibits modifications which exempt a provider from training requirements or infringe upon the consumers' bill of rights.

Directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations, within one year of this Act's enactment, pursuant to which peer review organizations (PROs) shall monitor the provision of home health services, devoting at least 50 percent of their efforts to quality assurance. Requires each State to appoint a home help monitoring agent to monitor the provision of home help services. Requires each State to establish a Consumer Advisory Board, within one year of this Act's enactment, to oversee the quality assurance review activities of PROs and the home help monitoring agent. Directs the Board to report to the Secretary and the State's chief executive on October 1 of each year regarding such quality assurance review activities.

Requires the Secretary to develop methods and criteria for monitoring the quality of homecare, requiring that such monitoring include direct contact with homecare consumers. Requires that PROs and home help monitoring agents: (1) establish and operate statewide toll-free hotlines for receiving homecare questions and complaints; and (2) assist consumers in resolving homecare quality problems. Directs Consumer Advisory Boards, PROs, and home help monitoring agents to establish programs to educate consumers regarding quality assurance programs and the assistance available for consumers with quality assurance problems. Directs the Secretary to encourage States to develop ombudsman programs for nonelderly homecare consumers.

Requires the Secretary to establish and the States to develop procedures for imposing sanctions against providers failing to comply with this Act. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on January 1 of each year regarding the availability, adequacy, and use of sanctions. Directs the Secretary to: (1) encourage States to develop homecare provider licensing and certification policies; and (2) issue a biennial report on State implementation of such policies.

Establishes a Homecare Quality Assurance Council with which the Secretary must consult in implementing title XXI of the Social Security Act.

Directs the Secretary to award grants for homecare provider training programs and furnish States and providers with training materials.

Directs the Secretary to establish guidelines and fund: (1) studies on homecare quality assurance measures; and (2) demonstration projects which include State models for monitoring homecare quality and projects exploring the feasibility of developing certification requirements for individuals providing homecare services. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on January 1 of each year and States to report to the Secretary on October 1 of each year regarding the nature and performance during the preceding fiscal year of the homecare quality assurance system. Authorizes appropriations for: (1) the home health monitoring activities of PROs and home help monitoring agents; (2) home health training program grants; and (3) the studies and demonstration projects established pursuant to this Act.

Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to extend the long-term care ombudsman program to homecare services. Requires each State to establish a toll-free telephone hotline to facilitate the communication of complaints regarding long-term and homecare services.

Increases authorized appropriations for old-age services in FY 1987. Increases the portion of appropriated funds which may be allotted to the ombudsman programs.

Requires the Secretary to report on the effectiveness of demonstration projects established pursuant to this Act within three years of this Act's enactment.