For health care services provided to MassHealth members who are seniors including those provided through the Medicare Savings Program, and for the operation of the MassHealth senior care options program under
section 9D of chapter 118E of the General Laws; provided, that funds may be expended from this item for health care services provided to recipients in prior fiscal years; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for the purposes of an individual's eligibility for the Senior Care Options program, an individual is deemed to reach the age of 65 on the first day of the month in which his or her 65th birthday occurs; provided further, that no payment for special provider costs shall be made from this item without the prior written approval of the secretary of administration and finance; provided further, that funds shall be expended from this item to maintain a personal needs allowance of $72.80 per month for individuals residing in nursing and rest homes who are eligible for MassHealth, emergency aid to the elderly, the disabled and children program or supplemental security income; provided further, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for any nursing home facility or non-acute chronic disease hospital that provides kosher food to its residents, the executive office of health and human services, in consultation with the center for health information and analysis and in recognition of the special innovative program status granted by the executive office of health and human services, shall continue to make the standard payment rates established in fiscal year 2006 to reflect the high dietary costs incurred in providing kosher food; provided further, that the secretary of health and human services shall report on January 27, 2020 to the house and senate committees on ways and means on the implementation of the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) expanded program eligibility for seniors pursuant to section 25A of chapter 118E; provided further, that said report shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the number of members who are seniors whose household incomes, as determined by the executive office, exceed 130 per cent of the federal poverty level that are enrolled in Medicare Savings Programs during each month of the fiscal year; (ii) total enrollment in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program and Qualifying Individual (QI) Program; (iii) total annual spending on Medicare premiums and cost-sharing for such members; (iv) total annual transfers from the prescription advantage program in line item
9110-1455 and Health Safety Net Trust Fund to fund the MSP expansion; provided further, that nursing facility rates effective on October 1, 2019 may be developed using the costs of calendar year 2007 or any subsequent year selected by the secretary of health and human services; provided further, that MassHealth shall reimburse nursing home facilities for up to 20 medical leave-of-absence days and shall reimburse the facilities for up to 10 nonmedical leave-of-absence days; provided further, that medical leave-of-absence days shall include an observation stay in a hospital in excess of 24 hours; provided further, that no nursing home shall reassign a patient's bed during a leave of absence that is eligible for reimbursement under this item; and provided further, that not later than January 3, 2020, MassHealth shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means on the following for fiscal year 2019: (a) the number of nursing facility clients on a leave of absence, delineated by the nursing facility, by medical leave-of-absence days and medical leave-of-absence days that exceeded 10 days per hospital stay, nonmedical leave-of-absence days and the total number of days on leave of absence unduplicated member count; (b) licensed beds monthly capacity levels per nursing home and the monthly total number of empty beds per nursing facility, total number of all nursing home residents and total MassHealth nursing home residents; (c) 6 separate MassHealth payment rates and the average payment amount rate per nursing facility client resident; (d) the actual number of nursing home residents for each of the 6 payment categories in clause (c); (e) the aggregate payment amount per nursing facility by month; and (f) all reports shall delineate by nursing home, including grand totals where appropriate
