Select Board approves modest private‑pay rate increase at Our Island Home
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Summary
After a public hearing, the Select Board approved a private‑pay rate increase at the town‑run skilled nursing facility; the board and staff said the phased $40 daily increase balances cost pressures and concerns about sticker shock for residents.
The Select Board held a public hearing on March 12 and approved an increase in private‑pay rates at Our Island Home for fiscal year 2025–26. The change raises the daily private‑pay rate for a semi‑private room from $560 to $600 and for a single private room from $580 to $620, effective July 1, 2025.
Peter Holden, administrator at Our Island Home, told the board the rates have not been increased since February 2019 and proposed a combined increase of about 6.95% (roughly $40 per day) to begin to recover rising labor and supply costs. Peter said staff prefer phased increases rather than a single large jump to avoid “sticker shock” for current private‑pay residents.
Public commenters supported the increase while asking about impacts on Medicaid/MassHealth reimbursements and whether state‑set reimbursement rates would change; staff explained that Medicaid/Medicare reimbursement amounts are set by federal and state programs and are not directly adjusted by the town’s private‑pay rate decision. Select Board members commended the outreach plan and asked that management monitor costs and continue staged increases as needed to keep rates aligned with expenses.
After closing the public hearing, the board voted to approve the proposed private‑pay rate increases beginning July 1, 2025.