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News Room |
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- House Passes Equal Choice Bill
Media Release: July 24, 2006
BOSTON - Seniors citizens and the disabled who
quality for long term care services under the
MassHealth program will have an “equal choice” of
care at home, or care in a nursing home, under
legislation adopted unanimously today by the House
of Representatives.
House Bill 5203, the “Equal Choice” bill, modernizes
the MassHealth program from one which has
historically been institutionally oriented, to one
which focuses on care “in the least restrictive
setting appropriate” to an individual’s needs.
“The elderly and the disabled want to be cared for
at home as a first resort,” explained Representative
Quinn. “This legislation gives them the choice to
live independently in the community.”
The equal choice bill will save state taxpayers $134
million in the first five years after
implementation. Several recent studies of the
state’s long term care system have noted the
Commonwealth’s over-reliance on institutional care.
Today, approximately 75% of the MassHealth funding
for long term care goes to nursing homes.
Massachusetts ranks 25th in the nation for the
percentage of MassHealth funding spent in the
community.
Representative Quinn said, “This bill is a win-win.
It keeps elders living in the community, and it
saves tax dollars as well.”
Al Norman, Executive Director of Mass Home Care,
noted, “The bill is an important civil rights bill
that allows consumers to seek care in the most
integrated setting. Its passage is the culmination
of years of hard work on the part of home care
advocates.”
The equal choice bill establishes a more focused
“pre-admission counseling” program for people who
are being referred to a nursing home, to ensure that
they are aware of community alternatives. Everyone
about to enter a nursing home regardless of whether
they are privately paying, or seeking MassHealth
support will have the opportunity to explore options
in the community first.
The equal choice bill calls for the state to submit
a “waiver” to the federal government which will
raise the income and asset levels for the MassHealth
long term care program, thus allowing the
Commonwealth to capture 50% federal match for some
elders who are not fully supported with state
funding.
The equal choice legislation has been endorsed by
the major elderly and disabled rights groups in the
state, including Mass Home Care, AARP, the Statewide
Independent Living Council, MAOA, Mass Senior
Action, Mass Councils on Aging, and the Greater
Boston Interfaith Organization.
The Senate engrossed a similar version of the equal
choice bill on a unanimous vote. The bill will now
come up for a final vote in the Senate followed by
final enactment in the House before being sent to
the Governor for his approval.
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