Bill > S364

This bill aims to strengthen the Massachusetts home care program by implementing the following key provisions: 1. It requires home care aide agencies contracting with Aging Service Access Points to provide homemaker and personal care services through the Massachusetts Home Care program to submit comprehensive annual cost reports to the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. This will provide detailed accounting of their annual costs. 2. It empowers the Office of the Attorney General to investigate any home care aide agency contracting with Aging Service Access Points, allowing the Attorney General to require the agency to produce documents, answer interrogatories, and provide testimony under oath. 3. It mandates the Department of Public Health, in consultation with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, to establish a new licensing process for home care aide agencies, which will require agencies to meet various quality and compliance standards. 4. It creates a home care worker registry managed by the Department of Public Health, which will track and maintain information on all individuals employed by home care aide agencies. This registry will help prevent the hiring of individuals with a history of patient or resident abuse, mistreatment, neglect, or misappropriation of property. Overall, this bill aims to increase transparency, oversight, and quality assurance in the Massachusetts home care program to better protect the well-being of elderly and vulnerable individuals receiving these services.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/S364