SENATE DOCKET, NO. 776        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Jacob R. Oliveira

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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 promote primary care through Medicaid graduate medical education funding.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 776        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 798 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act to promote primary care through Medicaid graduate medical education funding.

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. Chapter 118E of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following new section:-

Section 80. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the executive office shall include in its reimbursement rates to qualifying acute care hospitals for graduate medical education in primary care, behavioral health, and other physician residency training in fields experiencing physician shortages, as determined by the secretary. Payments for graduate medical education shall be based on  the Medicare direct graduate medical education methodology, Section 1886(h) of the Social Security Act, as implemented by 42 CFR 413.75 through 42 CFR 413.83 taking into consideration MassHealth utilization and primary care, behavioral health, and other physician residents in fields identified by the executive office

(b) No later than July 1, 2026, the secretary, in consultation with the executive office of administration and finance, shall identify an adequate amount of annual Medicaid graduate medical education funding necessary to fulfill the requirements of this section, as well as state and other funding sources for use for graduate medical education expenditures. The secretary shall report its recommendations to the joint committee on healthcare finance and committees on ways and means.

(c) The first annual payment to qualifying acute care hospitals and community health centers under this section must be made no later than October 1, 2027.