Virginia Law

Article 2. Community-Based Continuing Care Providers.

As used in this article and Article 3 (§ 38.2-4924 et seq.):

"Community-based continuing care" or "CBCC" means a program providing or committing to provide a range of services, including long-term care services, to an individual, other than an individual related by blood or marriage, (i) pursuant to an agreement, including mutually terminable contracts, effective for the life of the individual or for a period in excess of one year; and (ii) in consideration of the payment of an entrance fee. "Community-based continuing care" or "CBCC" also means the provision of the enumerated services in the individual's private residence as long as medically feasible and the provision of facility-based long-term care services when required, either directly or indirectly through affiliated services or through contractual arrangements.

"Community-based continuing care entrance fee" or "CBCC entrance fee" means an initial or deferred transfer to a CBCC provider of a sum of money or other property made or promised to be made in advance or at some future time as full or partial consideration for acceptance of a specified individual as a participant. A fee that in the aggregate is less than the sum of the regular periodic charges for one year of participation shall not be considered to be an entrance fee except as provided in § 38.2-4922.

"Community-based continuing care provider" or "CBCC provider" means any person, corporation, partnership, or other entity that provides or offers to provide community-based continuing care and that has operated a Continuing Care Retirement Community facility for a minimum of three years.

"Continuing Care Retirement Community facility" or "CCRC facility" means a facility, as defined in § 38.2-4900, that is registered with the Commission pursuant to § 38.2-4901.

"Participant" means an individual who has entered into a community-based continuing care contract.

"Range of services" means, without limitation, coordinated in-home care management, wellness programs, health assessments, health information and referral, home safety evaluation, homemaker services, assistance with activities of daily living, personal emergency response systems, chronic disease management, professional nursing services, services provided by a home care organization as defined in § 32.1-162.7, facility-based assisted living care provided pursuant to Article 1 (§ 63.2-1800 et seq.) of Chapter 18 of Title 63.2, and care in a certified nursing facility as defined in § 32.1-123.

"Solicit" means all actions of a CBCC provider or his agent in seeking to have individuals enter into a community-based continuing care contract by any means such as, but not limited to, personal, telephone, or mail communication or other communication directed to and received by any individual, and any advertisements in any media distributed or communicated by any means to individuals.

2012, cc. 208, 303.

A. No CBCC provider shall engage in the business of providing or offering to provide community-based continuing care in the Commonwealth unless the CBCC provider (i) is registered with the Commission pursuant to Article 1 (§ 38.2-4900 et seq.) and (ii) has filed a statement with the Commission with respect to such CBCC program as provided in subsection B.

B. A statement shall be filed with the Commission by the CBCC provider on forms prescribed by the Commission and shall include:

1. All information required by the Commission pursuant to its enforcement of this article; and

2. The initial disclosure statement required by § 38.2-4920.

C. The statement shall be approved or disapproved in writing by the Commission within 90 days of the filing.

2012, cc. 208, 303.

A. The initial disclosure statement of each community-based continuing care program shall contain the following information unless such information is contained in the CBCC contract and a copy of that contract is attached and made a part of the initial disclosure statement:

1. The name and business address of the CBCC provider and a statement of whether the provider is a partnership, foundation, association, corporation, or other type of business or legal entity;

2. Full information regarding ownership of the CCRC facility that the CBCC provider has operated for the minimum three-year period as required in the definition of CBCC provider in § 38.2-4918;

3. A complete listing of all CCRC facilities owned or operated, or both, by the CBCC provider and, for each, total liquid assets on the balance sheet and current occupancy percentages in independent living units;

4. The names and business addresses of the officers, directors, trustees, managing or general partners, and any person having a 10 percent or greater equity or beneficial interest in the CBCC provider, and a description of such person's interest in or occupation with the provider;

5. For (i) the CBCC provider, (ii) any person named in response to subdivision 4, and (iii) the proposed management, if the CBCC program will be managed on a day-to-day basis by a person other than an individual directly employed by the provider:

a. A description of any business experience in the operation or management of community-based continuing care or long-term care programs;

b. The name and address of any professional service, firm, association, foundation, trust, partnership, or corporation or any other business or legal entity in which such person has, or which has in such person, a 10 percent or greater interest and which it is presently intended will or may provide goods, leases, or services to the CBCC provider of a value of $500 or more, within any year, including:

(1) A description of the goods, leases, or services and the probable or anticipated cost thereof to the CBCC provider;

(2) The process by which the contract was awarded;

(3) Any additional offers that were received; and

(4) Any additional information requested by the Commission detailing how and why a contract was awarded; and

c. A description of any matter in which such person:

(1) Has been convicted of a felony or pleaded nolo contendere to a criminal charge or has been held liable or enjoined in a civil action by final judgment, if the crime or civil action involved fraud, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, misappropriation of property, or moral turpitude;

(2) Is subject to an injunctive or restrictive order of a court of record, or within the past five years had any state or federal license or permit suspended or revoked as a result of an action brought by a governmental agency or department, arising out of or relating to business activity or health care, including without limitation action affecting a license to operate a home care company, foster care facility, nursing home, retirement home, home for the aged, or facility registered under this article or similar laws in another state; or

(3) Is currently the subject of any state or federal prosecution or administrative investigation involving allegations of fraud, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property;

6. A statement as to:

a. Whether the CBCC provider is or ever has been affiliated with a religious, charitable, or other nonprofit organization, the nature of any such affiliation, and the extent to which the affiliate organization is or will be responsible for the financial and contractual obligations of the CBCC provider; and

b. Any provision of the federal Internal Revenue Code under which the CBCC provider is exempt from the payment of income tax;

7. A description of the services provided or proposed to be provided under community-based continuing care contracts, including the extent to which medical care is furnished or is available pursuant to any arrangement. The disclosure statement shall clearly state which services are included in basic community-based continuing care contracts and which services are made available by the CBCC provider at extra charge. The disclosure statement shall also clearly state which services are offered by the CBCC provider and which services are offered through contractual arrangements. The name and address of the party providing such services shall be disclosed. A definition of the services shall also be provided;

8. A description of all fees required of participants, including any entrance fee and periodic charges. The description shall include (i) a description of all proposed uses of any funds or property required to be transferred to the CBCC provider or any other person prior to the participant's enrollment in the program and of any entrance fee; (ii) a description of provisions for the escrowing and return of any such funds, assets, or entrance fee, the manner and any conditions of return, and to whom earnings on escrowed funds are payable; and (iii) a description of the manner by which the CBCC provider may adjust periodic charges or other recurring fees and any limitations on such adjustments. If the program is already in operation, or if the CBCC provider operates one or more similar programs within the Commonwealth, there shall be included tables showing the frequency and average dollar amount of each increase in periodic rates at each program for the previous five years or such shorter period that the program has been operated by the CBCC provider;

9. A description of any provisions that have been made or will be made to provide reserve funding or security to enable the CBCC provider to fully perform its obligations under community-based continuing care contracts, including the establishment of escrow accounts, trusts, or reserve funds, together with the manner in which such funds will be invested and the names and experience of persons who will make the investment decisions. The disclosure statement shall clearly state whether or not reserve funds are maintained;

10. Certified financial statements of the CBCC provider, including (i) a balance sheet as of the end of the two most recent fiscal years and (ii) income statements of the CBCC provider for the two most recent fiscal years;

11. A pro forma income statement for the current fiscal year for the community-based continuing care program and for the provider of the CBCC;

12. A description of the CBCC provider's criteria for enrollment of participants;

13. A description of the CBCC provider's policies regarding community-based services to non-participants;

14. Any other material information concerning the program or the CBCC provider that may be required by the Commission or included by the CBCC provider; and

15. The procedure by which a participant may file a complaint or disclose any concerns, to include the CBCC provider's process for resolving complaints and concerns.

B. The disclosure statement shall state on its cover that the filing of the disclosure statement with the Commission does not constitute recommendation or endorsement of the CBCC program by the Commission.

C. A copy of the standard form or forms for CBCC contracts used by the CBCC provider shall be attached as an exhibit to each disclosure statement.

D. If the Commission determines that the disclosure statement does not comply with the provisions of this article, it shall have the right to take action pursuant to § 38.2-4931.

E. Three days prior to the execution of a community-based continuing care contract or the transfer of any money or other property to a provider by or on behalf of a prospective participant, whichever first occurs, the CBCC provider shall deliver to the person with whom the CBCC contract is to be entered into a copy of a disclosure statement with respect to the program in question meeting all requirements of this article as of the date of its delivery.

2012, cc. 208, 303.

A. Within four months following the end of the CBCC provider's fiscal year, the CBCC provider shall file with the Commission and make available by written notice to each participant at no cost an annual disclosure statement that shall contain the information required for the initial disclosure statement set forth in § 38.2-4920.

B. The annual disclosure statement shall also be accompanied by a narrative describing any material differences between:

1. The prior fiscal year's pro forma income statement, and

2. The actual results of operations during that fiscal year.

C. The annual disclosure statement shall describe the disposition of any real property acquired by the CBCC provider from participants.

D. In addition to filing the annual disclosure statement, the CBCC provider shall amend its currently filed disclosure statement at any other time if, in the opinion of the provider, an amendment is necessary to prevent the disclosure statement from containing any material misstatement of fact or failing to state any material fact required to be stated therein. Any such amendment or amended disclosure statement shall be filed with the Commission before it is delivered to any participant or prospective participant and is subject to all the requirements of this article, and the CBCC provider shall notify each participant of the existence of such amendment or amended disclosure statement.

E. If the Commission determines that the disclosure statement does not comply with the provisions of this article, it shall have the right to take action pursuant to § 38.2-4931.

2012, cc. 208, 303.

A. A CBCC provider shall maintain in escrow with a bank or trust company, or other escrow agent approved by the Commission, all CBCC entrance fees or portions thereof in excess of $1,000 per person received by the CBCC provider prior to the date the participant is permitted to enroll and receive services in the CBCC program. Funds or assets deposited therein shall be kept and maintained in an account separate and apart from the CBCC provider's business accounts. For the purposes of this section only, the term "CBCC entrance fee" shall include within its meaning any advanced payment or series of advanced payments totaling $1,000 or more, and the term "CBCC provider" shall include any person or entity that would be included in the definition thereof in § 38.2-4918 if such fee of $1,000 or more constituted a CBCC entrance fee for the purposes of the definition of "community-based continuing care" in § 38.2-4918.

B. All funds or assets deposited in the escrow account shall remain the property of the prospective participant until released to the CBCC provider in accordance with this section. The funds or assets shall not be subject to any liens, judgments, garnishments, or creditor's claims against the provider or facility. The escrow agreement may provide that charges by the escrow agent may be deducted from the funds or assets if such provision is disclosed in the disclosure statement.

C. All funds or assets deposited in escrow pursuant to this section shall be released to the CBCC provider when the provider presents to the escrow agent evidence that the corporation has been deemed eligible to begin service and enter into permanent contracts.

D. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, all funds or assets deposited in escrow pursuant to this section shall be released according to the terms of the escrow agreement to the prospective participant from whom it was received (i) if such funds or assets have not been released within three years after placement in escrow (but in any event within six years after placement in escrow unless specifically approved by the Commission) or within such longer period as determined appropriate by the Commission in writing, (ii) if the prospective participant dies before enrolling and receiving services from the program, or (iii) upon rescission of the CBCC contract pursuant to provisions in the CBCC contract or in this article. Funds or assets subject to release under clause (i) of this subsection or under subsection C may be held in escrow for an additional period at the mutual consent of the provider and the prospective participant; however, the prospective participant may consent to such additional period only after his deposit has been held in escrow for at least two years. Clause (i) of this subsection shall not apply if fees are refundable within 30 days of request for refund.

E. Unless otherwise specified in the escrow agreement, funds or assets in an escrow account pursuant to this section may be held in the form received or if invested shall be invested in instruments authorized for the investment of public funds as set forth in Chapter 45 (§ 2.2-4500 et seq.) of Title 2.2 and not in default as to principal or interest.

F. This section shall not apply to application or reservation fees whether or not such fees are considered to be a portion of the CBCC entrance fee, provided such application or reservation fees are not in excess of $1,000 per person.

2012, cc. 208, 303.

A. In addition to other provisions considered proper to affect the purpose of any community-based continuing care contract, each CBCC contract executed on or after July 1, 2012, shall:

1. Provide for community-based continuing care;

2. Show the value of all property transferred, including donations, subscriptions, fees, and any other amounts paid or payable by, or on behalf of, the participant;

3. Specify all services that are to be provided by the CBCC provider to each participant including, in detail, all items that each participant will receive, whether the items will be provided at a certain percentage for a designated time period or for life, and what criteria will be used to distinguish eligibility for certain services;

4. Describe the physical and mental health and financial conditions upon which the CBCC provider may require the participant to relinquish his participation in the program, if any exist;

5. Describe the circumstances under which the participant will be permitted to remain in the program in the event of financial difficulties of the participant;

6. Provide that the CBCC provider shall not cancel any community-based continuing care contract with any participant without good cause. Good cause shall be limited to (i) proof that the participant is a danger to himself or others; (ii) nonpayment by the participant of a monthly or periodic fee; (iii) repeated conduct by the participant that interferes with other participants' quiet enjoyment of a facility or service, if applicable; (iv) persistent refusal to comply with reasonable written rules and regulations of the program; (v) a material misrepresentation made intentionally or recklessly by the participant in his application for participation in the program, or related materials, regarding information which, if accurately provided, would have resulted in either a failure of the participant to qualify for participation or a material increase in the cost of providing to the participant the care and services provided under the CBCC contract; or (vi) material breach by the participant of the terms and conditions of the community-based continuing care contract. If a CBCC provider seeks to cancel a CBCC contract and terminate a participant's participation, the provider shall give the participant written notice of, and a reasonable opportunity to cure within a reasonable period, whatever conduct is alleged to warrant the cancellation of the CBCC contract;

7. Provide in clear and understandable language, in print no smaller than the largest type used in the body of the CBCC contract, the terms governing the refund of any portion of the CBCC entrance fee and the terms under which such fee can be used by the CBCC provider;

8. State the terms under which a CBCC contract is cancelled by the death of the participant. The CBCC contract may contain a provision to the effect that, upon the death of the participant, the money paid for the community-based continuing care of such participant shall be considered earned and become the property of the CBCC provider; and

9. Provide for at least 30 days' advance notice to the participant before any change in fees, charges, or the scope of care or services may be effective, except for changes required by state or federal assistance programs.

B. A participant shall have the right to rescind a community-based continuing care contract, without penalty or forfeiture, within seven days after making an initial deposit or executing the contract. A participant shall not be required to initiate the program outlined in the contract before the expiration of the seven-day period.

C. If a participant dies before initiating the program, or is precluded through illness, injury, or incapacity from becoming a participant under the terms of the community-based continuing care contract, the contract is automatically rescinded and the participant or his legal representative shall receive a full refund of all money paid to the CBCC provider, except those costs specifically incurred by the CBCC provider at the request of the participant and set forth in writing in a separate addendum, signed by both parties, to the contract.

D. No standard community-based continuing care contract form shall be used in the Commonwealth until it has been submitted to the Commission. If the Commission determines that the CBCC contract does not comply with the provisions of this article, it shall have the right to take action pursuant to § 38.2-4931 to prevent its use. The failure of the Commission to object to or disapprove of any CBCC contract shall not be evidence that the contract does or does not comply with the provisions of this article. However, individualized amendments to any standard form need not be filed with the Commission.

2012, cc. 208, 303.