SENATE DOCKET, NO. 928        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 352

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Barbara A. L'Italien

_________________

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 relative to home care workforce initiatives.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

 

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

1/25/2017

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

1/25/2017

Mathew Muratore

1st Plymouth

1/25/2017

Kenneth J. Donnelly

Fourth Middlesex

1/27/2017

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

1/27/2017

Joan B.  Lovely

Second Essex

2/2/2017

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

2/3/2017

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

2/3/2017

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/3/2017

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

2/3/2017

Cindy F. Friedman

Fourth Middlesex

10/4/2017


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 928        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 352

By Ms. L'Italien, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 352) of Barbara A. L'Italien, Jose F. Tosado, Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., Mathew Muratore and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to home care workforce initiatives.  Elder Affairs.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to home care workforce initiatives.

 

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

SECTION 1. The first sentence of the first paragraph of section 13D of chapter 118E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition,  is hereby amended by inserting, in line 25, after the words “chapter 111,” the following words:- and home health agencies pursuant to Title XVIII, Section 1891 of the Social Security Act,

SECTION 2. Said section 13D of said chapter 118E, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, after the second paragraph, the following new paragraph: --

Rates for the home care program, as defined under sections 4 and 4B, of chapter 19A, shall be adjusted on a biennial prospective basis by October 1st. The executive office shall establish, in conjunction with the executive office of elder affairs, a base purchase of service and a base personnel and operations per client per month capitation for the home care and enhanced community options programs, or successor programs, to be used in establishing biennial capitations pursuant to the provisions of this section and section 13C.  Said capitations shall be based on operating costs for aging services access points, including personnel costs that are commensurate with personnel holding similar job responsibilities employed by state government and private organizations; provided further, said operating costs shall include personnel costs associated with wages, compensation and/or salary and associated employee-related costs to personnel providing homemaker and personal care homemaker services; provided further compensation earned by homemakers and personal care homemakers shall be no less than $15 per hour  by July 1, 2018; provided further, said base personnel and operations capitation for the enhanced community options program shall be no less than ninety percent of the capitation for the MassHealth community choices program as of July 1, 2016, and said base personnel and operations capitation for the home care program shall be no less than sixty percent of the personnel and operations capitation for the enhanced community options program.  Said capitations shall be reasonable and adequate to meet the costs which are incurred by efficiently and economically operated home care program, considering factors necessary to meet the updated costs of providing the home care program in conformity with the requirements of chapter 19A and its regulations.