The House plans to consider an elder home care reform bill during its formal session Wednesday, Speaker Ron Mariano said Monday.
Mariano appeared confused and grasping for words Monday afternoon when asked about his branch’s agenda for its only scheduled formal session of this week.
“Well, we have a senior, uh…” Mariano said after meeting with Gov. Maura Healey and Senate President Karen Spilka, as he paused and said he’d been planning to answer an earlier question posed by a reporter.
The Quincy Democrat then turned to an aide to fill him on the agenda, asking, “John, what is it?” The aide said “home care,” and Mariano continued, “Home care. Home care — we’re gonna rewrite some of the regulations.”
Asked about what those regulatory changes entail, Mariano replied, “We’ll we’re going to rewrite some of the regulations. We don’t think they’re tough enough, and we want to tighten up some things.”
The state’s elder home care sector has faced acute financial strain amid surging demand from older residents seeking services to remain in their communities and avoid costlier care in nursing homes.
On July 28, the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence recommended legislation (H 4306) to improve home care and it was subsequently referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. The House plans to tackle that bill at its formal session, Mariano’s office told the News Service Monday evening.
“This week, the House will take up legislation that aims to better regulate the home care industry in Massachusetts by creating, for the first time, a licensing process for home care agencies, reforms that will improve services for seniors and ensure a safe work environment for home care workers,” Mariano said in a statement. “I look forward to discussing this legislation more with the membership this week, and to taking up the bill on Wednesday.”
The Healey administration this year tightened eligibility criteria for older adults enrolling in the state-funded Enhanced Community Options Program, which serves frail individuals who clinically qualify for nursing homes but are able to receive intensive care at home.
Officials also capped enrollment, with the action expected to reduce the number of ECOP clients served by 41% between February and November, according to Mass Aging Access, which represents care providers.
