Mass. disability commission subcommittee outlines LTSS, health equity goals and plans May roundtable

The Permanent Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities’ newly formed Long‑Term Services and Supports (LTSS) and Health Equity Subcommittee met virtually and approved its January minutes, adopted language asking researchers to include persons with disabilities in healthcare studies, reviewed draft goals for data collection and outreach, and set planning for a May roundtable-style event to brief stakeholders and the public.

The subcommittee, co‑chaired by Charlie Carr and Carl Richardson, said it will focus on collecting and analyzing data on accessibility, quality and sustainability of LTSS across Massachusetts, identifying geographic service “deserts,” compiling a public resource guide, and strengthening disability‑inclusive policy and service delivery in health care.

"We need to learn more about it and it would be great if we could have a speaker or two come and brief us about what the Health Equity Compact does and how it can complement the work that we're doing here," said Charlie Carr, legislative liaison for the Disability Policy Consortium and subcommittee co‑chair.

Why it matters: the panel flagged ongoing budget pressure at MassHealth and the…