Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S476 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1962 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 476
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Patricia D. Jehlen
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 establishing a special commission on a statewide long-term services and supports benefit
13	13	program.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patricia D. JehlenSecond Middlesex 1 of 3
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1962 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 476
19	19	By Ms. Jehlen, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 476) of Patricia D. Jehlen for
20	20	legislation to establish a special commission on a statewide long-term services and supports
21	21	benefit program. Elder Affairs.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act establishing a special commission on a statewide long-term services and supports benefit
28	28	program.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. There shall be a special commission to study and make recommendations to
32	32	2establish a statewide long-term services and supports benefit program in the commonwealth. The
33	33	3commission shall study: (i) whether and how a long-term serves and supports benefit program
34	34	4could be included as a benefit in the state disability insurance program structure, including but
35	35	5not limited to a nominal increase in the payroll tax; (ii) allowances for enrollment in the program
36	36	6of working adults who would make voluntary premium contributions either directly or through
37	37	7payroll deductions through their employer; (iii) requiring a mandatory enrollment with a
38	38	8voluntary opt-out option; (iv) giving adults the opportunity to plan for future long-term services
39	39	9and supports needs by providing a basic insurance benefit to those who meet requirements and
40	40	10have developed functional or equivalent cognitive limitations; (v) helping individuals with
41	41	11functional or cognitive limitations remain in their communities by purchasing nonmedical 2 of 3
42	42	12services and supports, including home health care and adult daycare; (vi) helping offset the costs
43	43	13incurred by adults with chronic and disabling conditions both for a defined period or until death.
44	44	14 SECTION 2. The commission shall consist of the following 16 members: the secretary
45	45	15of health and human services or their designee, who shall serve as chair; the secretary of aging
46	46	16and independence or their designee; the commissioner of public health or their designee; the
47	47	17assistant secretary for MassHealth or their designee; the chairs of the joint committee on elder
48	48	18affairs or their designees; and 10 persons to be appointed by the governor: 1 of whom shall be a
49	49	19representative of the Home Care Aide Council, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Home
50	50	20Care Alliance of Massachusetts, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a representative of Mass Aging Access,
51	51	211 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, Inc., 1 of
52	52	22whom shall be a representative of LeadingAge Massachusetts, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a
53	53	23representative of the Massachusetts chapter of AARP, 1 of whom shall be a representative of
54	54	24Local 1199 Service Employee International Union, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the
55	55	25National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors of Massachusetts, 1 of whom shall be
56	56	26a representative of a long-term care insurance provider; and 1 of whom shall be an expert on
57	57	27long-term care and aging policy.
58	58	28 SECTION 3. The commission shall review the independent actuarial study of financial
59	59	29options for modeling public, private and public-private hybrid long-term care services and
60	60	30supports authorized in item 4000-0300 Chapter 18 of the Acts of 2024 and conducted by
61	61	31Milliman, Inc.; and provided further shall utilize the findings of said actuarial study to make
62	62	32recommendations on: (i) how a statewide long-term services and supports benefit program could
63	63	33be designed and implemented to expand the options for people who are interested in insuring
64	64	34themselves against the risk of costs associated with functional or cognitive disability, and require 3 of 3
65	65	35long-term services and supports; (ii) options for the design of the program, including eligibility,
66	66	36enrollment, benefits, financing, administration, and interaction with MassHealth program and
67	67	37other publicly funded resources; (iii) how benefits under the program would be coordinated with
68	68	38existing private health care coverage benefits; (iv) the demands on the long-term care workforce
69	69	39as the need for long-term services and supports in Massachusetts grows, and how the long-term
70	70	40care workforce can be prepared to meet those demands; (v) the viability of a joint public and
71	71	41private system to make long-term services and supports accessible to as many individuals within
72	72	42Massachusetts as possible.
73	73	43 SECTION 4. The commission shall submit a report containing its findings and
74	74	44recommendations, including drafts of proposed legislation to carry out its recommendations, by
75	75	45filing the same with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on
76	76	46elder affairs and the joint committee on health care financing no later than one year after the
77	77	47effective date of this act.