Budget Amendment ID: FY2021-S4-229

EHS 229

Enough Pay to Stay

Ms. Jehlen, Ms. Rausch, Ms. Gobi, Ms. DiZoglio, Messrs. Moore, Tarr, O'Connor, Eldridge, Brady, Montigny and Tran moved that the proposed new text be amended in section 2, by inserting after item 9110-1633 the following item:-

"xxxx-xxxx For adjustments to rates for home and community based services for home health aide, homemaker and personal care homemaker services provided through items 9110-1630, 9110-0600, and 4000-0601; provided that funds from this item shall be available where the amounts otherwise available are insufficient for the purpose; provided further that the rate add-on for home health aide services shall be $2.68 per service hour; provided further that the rate add-on for homemaker and personal care homemaker services shall be $2.60 per service hour; provided further that the rate add-on amounts contained herein shall be effective for a performance period beginning on November 1, 2020 and ending on June 30, 2021; provider further, that rate adjustments provided by this item shall supplement and not supplant the routine service payments that result from 101 CMR 417.00; provided further, that the secretary of elder affairs, with the approval of the secretary of health and human services and the secretary of administration and finance, may transfer funds from this item to said items 9110-1630, 9110-0600 or 4000-0601 or any other item necessary in order to ensure that all home health aides and personnel providing homemaker and personal care homemaker services receive an appropriate rate add-on set forth in this item; and provided further, that the department of elder affairs, in consultation with the executive office of health and human services, shall require that each home care and home health agency eligible to receive funds from the item submit an attestation form stating the rate add-on funds shall be used for hourly wage increases, other categories of worker compensation such as bonuses, overtime and related personnel expenses and other related eligible costs, including but not limited to, personal protective equipment, said attestation form shall be submitted prior to distribution of the funds; provided further, that not later than July 1, 2021, each home care and home health agency that received funds from the item shall submit a spending report to the department of elder affairs accounting for the use of said funds; said spending report shall be submitted after receipt of said funds, and by July 31, 2021 the department shall provide a report to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means detailing the impact of the funds within this item  .............................$17,433,295"