Bill > H767

This bill clarifies and improves the rate-setting processes for home health and home care services in Massachusetts by establishing more detailed guidelines for how state agencies determine payment rates for these services. Specifically, the bill requires that rates for home health and continuous skilled nursing agencies be reviewed at least every two years, using cost data from no more than four years prior and adjusted for reasonableness and new regulatory costs. The executive office must consider all costs incurred by efficiently operated providers, including administrative expenses and a reasonable profit factor. The bill mandates a comprehensive cost analysis that examines service costs across different care settings, uses national and regional indices to measure cost changes, and reflects evolving service delivery models. Additionally, the Secretary of Elder Affairs must provide a detailed report to legislative committees explaining how rates were analyzed, including a comparison with the "Home Health Agency Market Basket" index from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The bill also requires consultation with stakeholders during rate methodology development and explicitly instructs agencies to consider governmental mandates like minimum wage changes and payroll taxes when setting rates for homemaker and personal care services.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H767