MEDICAID LONG-TERM CARE SYSTEM.

(a) The commission shall ensure that the Medicaid long-term care system provides the broadest array of choices possible for recipients while ensuring that the services are delivered in a manner that is cost-effective and makes the best use of available funds.

(b) The commission shall also make every effort to improve the quality of care for recipients of Medicaid long-term care services by:

(1) evaluating the need for expanding the provider base for consumer-directed services and, if the commission identifies a demand for that expansion, encouraging area agencies on aging, independent living centers, and other potential long-term care providers to become providers through contracts with the commission;

(2) ensuring that all recipients who reside in a nursing facility are provided information about end-of-life care options and the importance of planning for end-of-life care; and

(3) developing policies to encourage a recipient who resides in a nursing facility to receive treatment at that facility whenever possible, while ensuring that the recipient receives an appropriate continuum of care.