HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 418        FILED ON: 1/11/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 544

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Kay Khan

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to assist families caring for elders.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

1/11/2013

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

1/28/2013

Edward F. Coppinger

10th Suffolk

1/28/2013

Marcos A. Devers

16th Essex

1/28/2013

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

1/14/2013

Paul J. Donato

35th Middlesex

1/11/2013

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

1/30/2013

John V. Fernandes

10th Worcester

1/30/2013

Gloria L. Fox

7th Suffolk

2/1/2013

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

2/1/2013

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

1/30/2013

Peter V. Kocot

1st Hampshire

1/27/2013

Elizabeth A. Malia

11th Suffolk

1/31/2013

Mark C. Montigny

Second Bristol and Plymouth

1/30/2013

James M. Murphy

4th Norfolk

1/31/2013

Alice Hanlon Peisch

14th Norfolk

2/1/2013

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

2/1/2013

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

2/1/2013

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

34th Middlesex

1/31/2013

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

1/31/2013

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

2/1/2013

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

2/1/2013

William N. Brownsberger

Second Suffolk and Middlesex

 

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 418        FILED ON: 1/11/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 544

By Ms. Khan of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 544) of Kay Khan and others relative to personal care or managerial services contracts for families caring for elderly relatives.  Elder Affairs.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1097 OF 2011-2012.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

An Act to assist families caring for elders.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 28 of chapter 118E of the Massachusetts General Laws shall be amended by adding at the end of said section the following: 

Payment for services pursuant to a contract between family members to provide personal care or managerial services shall be considered a legally and reasonably enforceable fair market value transaction if the contract meets the following criteria: 

(1) The agreement indicates the type, frequency and duration of the services being provided to the applicant or member and the amount of consideration being paid to the caregiver;

(2) The personal care services must enable the applicant or member to avoid or delay placement in a nursing facility or facilitate the return of an applicant or member from a nursing home to the community, as determined by a licensed medical professional or a licensed social worker;

(3)  Payment for services is commensurate with a reasonable wage scale, based on the fair market value of the actual job performed and the qualifications of the caregiver;

(4)  A lump sum payment by the applicant or member for services to be provided in the future, which is calculated based upon the applicant’s or member’s life expectancy, shall be considered an ascertainable fair market value transaction, provided that the contract requires the return of any prepaid monies to the applicant or member or his estate if the caregiver becomes unable to fulfill his/her duties under the contract or if the applicant or member dies before his/her calculated life expectancy.

The department shall promulgate regulations governing the implementation of this section. 

“Applicant” or “member” shall include the legal representative of the applicant or member. 

“Managerial services” shall include the acquisition, coordination and monitoring of medical, financial, accounting, home maintenance and legal services to benefit the applicant or member.