In his first budget as governor, Charlie Baker’s administration made sizable shifts within Health and Human Services, which accounts for 53 percent of the overall budget proposal. These shifts were done without negatively impacting most provider rates, including home health services.
In a conference call with provider and advocacy organizations, Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders announced that there was a 5.6 percent growth over FY15 in the total EOHHS budget and that line items in the Elder Affairs accounts governing the Aging Service Access Point network saw a 2.1 percent increase overall. This includes the following highlights:
- A nearly $5.6 million increase over FY15 spending in the Elder Enhanced Home Care Services Program.
- Level funding for the Home Care Purchased Services line item ($106.6 million), which governs contracts with home care providers.
- A reduction of $13.7 million in the MassHealth Senior Care Account that includes, among other things, the Senior Care Options or SCO program. On the call with Secretary Sudders, it was explained that this was an adjustment on caseloads after re-determinations.
- A continued reduction ($68,360,305) in MassHealth Fee-for-Service payments to “meet projected need.”
- An increase of $768,713,676 in MassHealth Managed Care spending.
- Level funding of grants to councils on aging and to the elder nutrition program.
- A nominal increase in spending over FY15 on Pediatric Palliative Care.
For more information on the Governor’s proposed budget, visit the administration’s FY16 budget webpage.
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