Budget Amendment ID: FY2018-S3-296-R1

Redraft EHS 296

Spouses as Caregivers

Messrs. Tarr, Humason, Ross and O'Connor and Ms. L'Italien moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section __, the following new section:-

“SECTION__. There shall be a spouses as caregivers task force to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining a waiver from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) to amend the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ 1915(c) elderly waiver, such that any program of home and community based services in which family members are permitted to serve as paid caregivers, funded pursuant to Section 9 of Chapter 118E, shall include spouses within the definition of a family member.

The task force shall consist of 11 members: the secretary of health and human services, or designee, the secretary of elder affairs, or designee, the secretary of administration and finance, or designee, the director of mediacaid, or designee, a representative of  AARP Massachusetts, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on elder affairs, or their designees, a member of the general court appointed by the senate president, a member of the general court appointed by the senate minority leader; a member of the general court appointed by the house speaker, a member of the general court appointed by the house minority leader;

The task force shall: (i) identify and review relevant federal and state laws and  regulations, and the feasibility, efficacy and practicality of seeking and securing a waiver from the center for medicaid and medicare service to allow spouses to serve as paid caregivers; (ii) the task force shall prepare and submit a report to the clerks of the senate and house and the joint committee on elder affairs, no later than May 31, 2018”