Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2399 Compare Versions

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

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3839 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2399
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Mindy Domb and 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 to improve access to health care for people with Long COVID.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/17/2025Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/17/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3839 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2399
18	18	By Representatives Domb of Amherst and Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 2399) of Mindy Domb and Marjorie C. Decker relative to access to health care
20	20	for people with Long COVID. Public Health.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act to improve access to health care for people with Long COVID.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby
30	30	2amended by inserting after section 24O the following section:-
31	31	3 Section 24P. (a)The department, subject to appropriation, shall develop and implement an
32	32	4evidence-based culturally-specific patient navigation pilot program for people living with a Long
33	33	5COVID diagnosis, aligned with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
34	34	6(NASEM) Long COVID definition, .
35	35	7 (b)The department shall design the pilot program to: (i) reduce barriers for Long COVID
36	36	8patients in accessing timely and knowledgeable medical treatment, (ii) provide referrals for
37	37	9clinical care and nonclinical support to patients with Long COVID and their families, (iii)
38	38	10facilitate access to medical information and resources to help meet daily needs and emotional
39	39	11support, (iv) integrate within healthcare teams for maximum efficacy, and (v) improve health
40	40	12equity in Long COVID care in the commonwealth. 2 of 3
41	41	13 (c) The department shall develop guidelines to standardize Long COVID patient
42	42	14navigator care, which could include appropriate training to ensure skills and knowledge needed
43	43	15to deliver the proposed service.
44	44	16 (d) The pilot program shall include, but not be limited to, the following activities:
45	45	17 (i) collecting and sharing data;
46	46	18 (ii) making initial contact with patients, conducting social and medical needs
47	47	19assessments;
48	48	20 (iii) providing navigation on clinical needs including assistance for patients with Long
49	49	21COVID to identify appropriate subspecialty care, making referrals and connections to clinicians,
50	50	22facilitating communication among providers and with the patient’s health care team, scheduling
51	51	23medical appointments, and optimizing insurance coverage and disability insurance coverage;
52	52	24 (iv) providing navigation on social and emotional support needs including providing
53	53	25connections for patients with Long COVID to lay support group services to address stress for
54	54	26patients with long COVID and to social services to address issues that include transportation,
55	55	27language barriers and interpretation, food insecurity, housing insecurity, unemployment
56	56	28assistance, connections to community-based organizations and other services;
57	57	29 (v) providing resources to inform shared decision-making and the availability of social
58	58	30and community services;
59	59	31 (vi) establishing reimbursement for patient navigator services and supervision of such
60	60	32services. 3 of 3
61	61	33 (e) The department may establish a consumer advisory board consisting primarily of
62	62	34people living with Long COVID in the Commonwealth and healthcare providers engaged in this
63	63	35care, who shall assist the department in developing the pilot program to ensure that the program
64	64	36considers the varied needs and populations of those living with Long COVID across the
65	65	37Commonwealth. The department may develop guidelines and process to issue stipend payments
66	66	38to reimburse for participation in the consumer advisory board.
67	67	39 (f) Not later than one year after the implementation of the pilot program said department
68	68	40shall provide a report to the clerks of the house and the senate and to the joint committees on
69	69	41public health and health care financing.The report shall include, but not be limited to; (i) the
70	70	42activities of the pilot, including services provided, the geographical locations of services, (ii) the
71	71	43number of patients who participated and the region where they live, and (iii) the advisability of
72	72	44expanding the pilot program.