The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing took action on a number of bills last week and issued a favorable report to several nursing facility bills which Mass Senior Care supports. The Mass Senior Care-sponsored bills would protect quality resident care by (1) modernizing the state’s nursing facility funding formula to better reflect the current cost of resident care, (2) allowing facilities to hire more staff and would establish a “quality job” for nursing facility staff by providing a living wage and career growth opportunity and (3) promoting critical infection control measures. The 3 bills are:
- S.742/H.1268, An Act Relative to Stabilizing the Commonwealth's Nursing Facilities - This bill would stabilize the nursing facility sector by making significant investments in direct care workers and help ensure continued access to quality nursing facility care.
- S.759/H.1287, An Act Relative to the Nursing Home Quality Jobs Initiative - This bill would ensure a living wage and quality job for frontline workers and provide career advancement opportunities for Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training.
- S.807/H.1313, An Act Relative to Infection Control in Nursing Facilities - This bill would enhance infection control by providing training and compensation for Infection Preventionists in nursing facilities and have designated quarantine space.