Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1184 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3058 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1184
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Marjorie C. Decker
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to health equity and community health workers.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/20/2023 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3058 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1184
18	18	By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1184) of
19	19	Marjorie C. Decker for legislation to assure coverage and reimbursement for covered health care
20	20	services and to establish a community health worker workforce development task force
21	21	(including members of the General Court) to provide health equity. Health Care Financing.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to health equity and community health workers.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Section 259 of chapter 112 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
31	31	2striking out the definition of “Core competencies” and inserting in place thereof the following:-
32	32	3 ''Core competencies'', a set of overlapping and mutually reinforcing skills and knowledge
33	33	4essential for effective community health work in core areas that include, but are not limited to:
34	34	5 (a) outreach methods and strategies;
35	35	6 (b) client and community assessment;
36	36	7 (c) effective communication;
37	37	8 (d) culturally-based communication and care;
38	38	9 (e) health education for behavior change; 2 of 4
39	39	10 (f) support, advocacy and coordination of care for clients;
40	40	11 (g) application of public health concepts and approaches;
41	41	12 (h) behavioral health, mental health, and substance use disorder services;
42	42	13 (i) community capacity building; and
43	43	14 (j) writing and technical communication skills.
44	44	15 SECTION 2. Section 260 of said chapter 112 is hereby amended by striking out the third
45	45	16paragraph in its entirety.
46	46	17 SECTION 3. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the group
47	47	18insurance commission public employee plans under Chapter 32A; the division of medical
48	48	19assistance under chapter 118E and its contracted health insurers, health plans, health
49	49	20maintenance organizations, behavioral health management firms and third-party administrators
50	50	21under contract to a Medicaid managed care organization or primary care clinician plan; insurance
51	51	22companies organized under Chapter 175; non-profit hospital service corporations organized
52	52	23under Chapter 176A; medical service corporations organized under chapter 176B; and health
53	53	24maintenance organizations organized under chapter 176G shall not decline to provide coverage
54	54	25and reimbursement for covered health care services solely on the basis that those services were
55	55	26delivered by a certified community health worker, as defined by Section 259 of Chapter 112,
56	56	27employed by health care providers or provider groups, including but not limited, an acute care
57	57	28hospital, health system, community health center, school-based health center, community
58	58	29behavioral health center, community mental health center, or behavioral health community
59	59	30partner. 3 of 4
60	60	31 SECTION 4. There shall be a Community Health Worker Workforce Development Task
61	61	32Force. The task force shall be chaired by the president of the senate or their designee and the
62	62	33speaker of the house of representatives or their designee, and shall consist of the following
63	63	34members: the senate chair of the joint committee on health care financing, the house chair of the
64	64	35joint committee on health care financing, the senate chair of the joint committee on public health,
65	65	36the house chair of the joint committee on public health, the secretary of health and human
66	66	37services or their designee, the commissioner of public health or their designee, the executive
67	67	38director of the Group Insurance Commission or their designee, the executive director of the
68	68	39Health Policy Commission or their designee, a representative of the Massachusetts Association
69	69	40of Community Health Workers, a representative of the Massachusetts League of Community
70	70	41Health Centers, a representative of Health Care For All, a representative of the Massachusetts
71	71	42Health and Hospital Association, a representative of the Massachusetts Health Council, a
72	72	43representative of the Association for Behavioral Healthcare and a representative of the
73	73	44Massachusetts Public Health Association.
74	74	45 The commission shall:
75	75	46 (a) examine the existing community health worker workforce, including but not limited
76	76	47to, the current supply and distribution of certified community health workers, by region, and
77	77	48organization and employer type;
78	78	49 (b) study barriers to retention of community health workers, including but not limited to,
79	79	50lack of integrative reimbursement models that cover community health worker services and other
80	80	51financial or socioemotional unmet needs of community health workers; 4 of 4
81	81	52 (c) examine the demographics of certified community health workers and of patients
82	82	53receiving services from community health workers, including but not limited to, race, ethnicity,
83	83	54language, disability status, sexual orientation, and gender identity;
84	84	55 (d) issue a report and recommendations on: (i) improving the pipeline of community
85	85	56health workers; (ii) expanding use of community health workers across inpatient and outpatient
86	86	57settings; (iii) methods and strategies for community health worker retention and career growth;
87	87	58(iv) requiring reimbursement of community health worker services; (v) the impact of insurance
88	88	59coverage on the community health worker pipeline.