Massachusetts Legislators Approve ‘Equal Choice’ Measure to Strengthen Home Care

BOSTON–Legislation unanimously approved by the Massachusetts
House of Representatives last week would give the state’s elderly
and disabled the choice of receiving care either at home or in a
nursing home.

Its advocates say the “equal choice” bill, sent to Gov. Mitt
Romney Wednesday, would end the “institution-first” policy of
MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program, and save money by
managing long-term care dollars better.

According to news reports, about three-quarters of MassHealth
funding for long-term care currently goes toward nursing homes. The
proposed legislation would shift that traditional emphasis to “a
choice of care setting that is the least restrictive and most
appropriate to meet [beneficiary] needs as determined by the
division.”

The legislation calls for pre-admission counseling to let people
know there are community alternatives to nursing home care.