Bill > S866

This bill aims to protect medically fragile children by improving continuous skilled nursing care (specialized nursing for patients with complex medical needs) through several key provisions. First, it requires the state's health care center to seek input from nurses, patients, and families when developing biennial reports about skilled nursing care. Second, the bill mandates that the Executive Office of Health and Human Services increase the budget for continuous skilled nursing care to ensure a progressively higher percentage of authorized nursing hours are filled: 75% by July 2025, 80% by July 2026, and 85% by July 2027. The office can require these budget increases to be used specifically for raising nurses' wages. Additionally, MassHealth (Massachusetts' Medicaid program) must submit annual reports detailing nursing hour authorizations, appeals, and any reductions in authorized hours. The bill also requires the Office of Medicaid to conduct a comprehensive review of wage payment rates for home health agencies providing continuous skilled nursing care, including an analysis of rates by patient acuity and nurse licensure levels, with a report due by March 2027. These measures are designed to address nursing shortages, improve care quality, and support medically fragile children and their families.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S866