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| Senator Tucker, Representative Robert Correia (D-Fall River), Governor Romney, Senator Moore |
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August 3, 2006 - Today, Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge) and his colleagues joined Governor Mitt Romney in the signing of an important bill that will provide elderly and disabled individuals more options in receiving long-term care.
“Long-term care is one of the most serious issues senior citizens and their families face,” said Senator Moore. “I was pleased to have guided this bill through the Health Care Financing Committee. This bill allows them to choose their setting of long-term care, including the option of staying at home. ”
“This will provide opportunities for adults who overwhelmingly want to age gracefully in settings in which they are comfortable,” said Romney. “Until now, they’ve had far too few options.”
S.2273, An Act Regarding Choice of Long Term Care Setting, was supported by Senator Moore and filed by Senator Sue Tucker (D-Andover), the Senate Chair of Elder Affairs.
“Other states have already increased the use of home-and-community-based services while preserving high quality nursing homes for those with greater needs,” said Senator Tucker. “This legislation will set Massachusetts on the same course.”
In addition to satisfying public demand, the bill will help save taxpayers dollars and ease already strained state Medicaid budgets. MassHealth presently pays roughly $51,720 per member annually to house long-term care clients in nursing homes. This legislation would allow the same clients to remain at home for approximately half the cost.
Presently Massachusetts funds long term care services through MassHealth and under current law, a person is entitled to a nursing home bed if he or she meets the financial and health needs criteria. While individuals repeatedly express their desire to remain in their homes, only a certain number of home care slots are available under the existing long term care structure.
“This new ‘Equal Choices’ law is an important civil rights milestone for the elderly and individuals with disabilities throughout Massachusetts,” said Al Norman, Executive Director of Mass Home Care. “This law says that the people with disabilities are capable and worthy of participating in the full measure of community life.” He continued by specially recognizing Senator Moore for his work in the Senate and understanding of the cost savings in this bill.
This law would even things out by creating a “long term care benefit” without reference to a setting. Individuals who meet MassHealth financial and clinical eligibility requirements for long term care services would then decide where to receive care. The funding determined to meet the needs each client would then follow that person to his or her location of choice.
To learn more about Senator Moore’s legislation and his work in the Massachusetts Senate, log onto his web site at www.senatormoore.com
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