Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S852 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. 1780 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 852
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Sal N. DiDomenico
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 preventing medical debt by restoring health safety net eligibility levels.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk 1 of 3
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1780 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 852
18	18	By Mr. DiDomenico, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 852) of Sal N. DiDomenico
19	19	for legislation to prevent medical debt by restoring health safety net eligibility levels. Health
20	20	Care Financing.
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 preventing medical debt by restoring health safety net eligibility levels.
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 SECTION 1. Section 65 of chapter 118E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
30	30	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following words in subsection (b)(iii) after
31	31	3the words “determine the eligibility of uninsured and underinsured patients for reimbursable
32	32	4health services”:-
33	33	5 , pursuant to subsection (c) of this section,
34	34	6 SECTION 2. Section 65 of chapter 118E, as so appearing in the General Laws, is hereby
35	35	7amended by inserting after subsection (b) the following subsection:-
36	36	8 (c) The office shall develop eligibility criteria for uninsured or underinsured patients in
37	37	9accordance with, but not limited to, the following guidelines: 2 of 3
38	38	10 (i) Uninsured or underinsured patients, who meet all other eligibility criteria as
39	39	11determined by the office, up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level, as calculated pursuant to
40	40	12the regulations of the executive office, shall be eligible;
41	41	13 (ii) eligible patients whose income exceeds 200 percent of the federal poverty level, but
42	42	14does not exceed 400 percent of the federal poverty level, may be subject to a deductible; and
43	43	15 (iii) eligibility shall be retroactive to at least 180 days prior to receipt of an application for
44	44	16an eligible individual.
45	45	17 Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the office’s ability to establish
46	46	18patient eligibility at income levels higher than those specified herein and/or to provide greater
47	47	19retroactive coverage than required by this paragraph.
48	48	20 SECTION 3. The health safety net office, established under section 65 of chapter 118E,
49	49	21in consultation with the office of Medicaid, shall convene a task force composed of experts that
50	50	22shall include, but is not limited to, a consumer advocate representative, a hospital representative,
51	51	23a community health center representative, and a health insurance plan representative to
52	52	24investigate and study the adequacy of the financing of the Health Safety Net Trust Fund
53	53	25established under section 66 of chapter 118E, including but not limited to the fund’s shortfall, the
54	54	26amounts paid to the fund by hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and surcharge payors
55	55	27established under sections 67 and 68 of chapter 118E, reimbursements made from the fund to
56	56	28hospitals and community health centers established under section 69 of chapter 118E, and
57	57	29transfers to and from the fund. 3 of 3
58	58	30 All appointments shall be made not later than 30 days after the effective date of this
59	59	31legislation. The task force shall meet not later than 60 days after the effective date of this
60	60	32legislation.
61	61	33 Not later than 1 year after the effective date of this legislation, the task force shall report
62	62	34to the general court the result of its investigation and study and its recommendations.