MA H1412

Office of Medicaid must work with the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association to support community discharge for MassHealth patients awaiting discharge from post-acute care hospitals, including revising beneficiary notice language, adopting transparent adverse determination processes, and expanding community resources for independent living

Medicaid rates for non-acute care hospitals must be based on reported costs from no more than 2 years prior to the current rate year, and non-acute care hospitals are added to existing acute care hospital provisions under Chapter 197 of the Acts of 2024

Prior authorization is eliminated for transferring inpatients from acute or non-acute hospitals to CMS-certified home health agencies, and a complex care ombudsman program with at least one case manager per EMS region must be established to assist with hospital discharges

A regional pilot program must be created to increase staffed long-term care beds, dementia beds, and geriatric psychiatric beds in skilled nursing facilities, along with a separate pilot for teaching skilled nursing facilities and a task force on co-locating medical services including behavioral health and telehealth

An Office of Adult Guardianship and Conservatorship Oversight must be established within the Probate and Family Court, probate courts may schedule weekly or bi-weekly healthcare case sessions, and a public outreach campaign must recruit retired professionals to serve as guardians for patients without identified representatives