Bill > H1268

This bill aims to stabilize the Commonwealth's nursing facilities by implementing the following key provisions: 1. It requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to annually adjust nursing home allowable resident care base year costs to the rate year using the annual Skilled Nursing Facility Market Basket Update established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, in order to recognize inflationary costs. 2. It mandates EOHHS to use reported costs from the calendar year not more than 2 years prior to the current rate year as the base year costs for rate determination purposes, in order to recognize current labor and resident care costs. 3. It sets the Nursing Cost Per Diem at the statewide average plus 10% to recognize nursing labor costs performed for resident care. 4. It requires EOHHS to provide an upward adjustment of at least 5% to the Medicaid rates of facilities that serve a disproportionately high number of Medicaid residents (75% or greater of all resident care days). 5. It sets the Medicaid capital rates for Department of Public Health Determination of Need approved construction projects, starting October 1, 2020, at no less than the capital payment using the capital standard payment calculation methodology in effect on September 30, 2019 under 101 CMR 206.05.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H1268