The Office shall be headed by an individual, to be known as the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, who shall be selected from among individuals with expertise and experience in the fields of long-term care and advocacy. The Ombudsman shall be responsible for the management, including the fiscal management, of the Office.
Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the State agency may establish and operate the Office, and carry out the program, directly, or by contract or other arrangement with any public agency or nonprofit private organization.
In carrying out the duties of the Office, the Ombudsman may designate an entity as a local Ombudsman entity, and may designate an employee or volunteer to represent the entity.
The State agency shall establish, in accordance with the Office, policies and procedures for monitoring local Ombudsman entities designated to carry out the duties of the Office.
In a case in which the entities are grantees, or the representatives are employees, of area agencies on aging, the State agency shall develop the policies in consultation with the area agencies on aging. The policies shall provide for participation and comment by the agencies and for resolution of concerns with respect to case activity.
The State agency shall develop the policies and procedures in accordance with all provisions of this part regarding confidentiality and conflict of interest.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as prohibiting the program from providing and financially supporting recognition for an individual designated under subparagraph (A) as a volunteer to represent the Ombudsman program, or from reimbursing or otherwise providing financial support to such an individual for any costs, such as transportation costs, incurred by the individual in serving as such volunteer.
The State agency shall establish procedures to ensure the access described in paragraph (1).
For purposes of section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (including regulations issued under that section) (42 U.S.C. 1320d–2 note), the Ombudsman and a representative of the Office shall be considered a “health oversight agency,” so that release of residents’ individually identifiable health information to the Ombudsman or representative is not precluded in cases in which the requirements of clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (1)(B), or the requirements of paragraph (1)(D), are otherwise met.
The State agency shall establish procedures for the disclosure by the Ombudsman or local Ombudsman entities of files, records, and other information maintained by the program, including records described in subsection (b)(1) or (c).
In planning and operating the program, the State agency shall consider the views of area agencies on aging, older individuals, and providers of long-term care.
The State shall ensure that no representative of the Office will be liable under State law for the good faith performance of official duties.