Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Healthcare topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council urges state to maintain adult day health reimbursement rates to avoid program closures
Summary
The council adopted a resolution supporting adult day health programs and urging the legislature to preserve current MassHealth reimbursement rates after the administration signaled planned cuts that local advocates say would imperil service providers.
The Boston City Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution urging state lawmakers and the administration to maintain higher MassHealth reimbursement rates for adult day health (ADH) programs, which councilors said provide nursing, therapeutic and social services that keep seniors and adults with disabilities engaged and out of institutional care.
Councilor Flynn, who filed the resolution, told the council that ADH programs serve more than 13,000 seniors and adults with disabilities across Massachusetts and described the programs as six‑hour day services offering nursing, medication management, recreation, meals and transportation.
Flynn said MassHealth planned to cut the adult day health reimbursement rate from what he described as a current basic level of $160 per day to $99 per day. He also referenced a rate implemented in July 2023 that he said was $106 per day. Flynn said a reduced reimbursement would force programs to curtail services or close; he told the council that during the pandemic 35 programs closed and more than 8,000 participants lost services and that 24 programs have reported they face serious risk of closure under the proposed cut.
Flynn urged support for a state amendment sponsored by Representative Tom Stanley to maintain the current reimbursement level; the transcript refers to the amendment in committee materials as "H.4000" (transcribed in the hearing as "bridal 4,000"). "I ask that my colleagues on the council support 'H.4000' to support the current level of reimbursement rate for adult day health programs so that our seniors with disabilities can continue to access vital services," Flynn said.
Councilors including Worrell, Weber, Mahir, Murphy and others voiced support at Wednesday's meeting; the docket was passed with suspension of the rules and recorded as adopted (docket 1024). Supporters highlighted local ADH providers in their districts — including culturally specific centers — and emphasized transportation and workforce challenges affecting program viability.
The resolution asks the council to endorse state action to preserve the reimbursement level and to urge MassHealth and the Legislature to consider the programs' role in preventing social isolation and in reducing higher‑cost institutional care.
