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S 484

Public Library Staff

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Roger Nutt

MassHealth would reimburse nursing facilities to hold a resident’s bed during short medical or nonmedical leaves, up to 20 days per medical event and 10 days per year for nonmedica

Referred to Committee on Judiciary
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Bill Summary · S 484

Summary — S.484 (2025): Reserving Nursing Home Beds During Certain Leaves of Absence

Status: Introduced (Senate) — Referred to committee(s)
Introduced: 02/06/2025
Primary sponsor (per bill text): Sen. Mark C. Montigny
Official title in bill text: "An Act relative to reserving beds in nursing homes during certain leaves of absence."
Note: the packet provided includes inconsistent metadata (alternate titles, federal sponsors, and committee referrals). This summary is based on the Massachusetts bill text included in the packet (Senate No. 484 / SD 493).

Purpose / Intent

To require the state to reimburse nursing facilities to preserve a Medicaid/ MassHealth recipient’s bed during specified medical and nonmedical short-term leaves of absence, thereby protecting residents’ placement while they are temporarily away from the facility.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 14A of Chapter 118E of the Massachusetts General Laws by adding two paragraphs authorizing payments to preserve a resident’s bed when the resident is a MassHealth recipient.
  • Medical leaves:
    • If a nursing facility resident who is a MassHealth recipient enters a hospital, the “division” shall pay to preserve the resident’s bed in the nursing facility for up to and including 20 days per medical event.
    • Reimbursement covers medical leave of absence and explicitly includes an observation hospital stay in excess of 24 hours.
  • Nonmedical leaves:
    • If a MassHealth member in a nursing facility requests a nonmedical leave of absence, the “division” shall pay to preserve the resident’s bed for up to and including 10 calendar days per year.
    • The division shall reimburse the nursing facility for the nonmedical leave of absence.

(“The division” refers to the entity administering MassHealth payments under Chapter 118E as used in the statute.)

Who is affected

  • MassHealth recipients who reside in nursing facilities (residents gain explicit bed-preservation protections for specified short-term leaves).
  • Nursing facilities (would receive reimbursement to hold beds during covered leaves).
  • The administering state agency (the “division”) — financial and administrative responsibilities to reimburse providers.
  • Hospitals and families indirectly (clarifies treatment/observation stays and short nonmedical leave policies).

Potential impacts

  • Financial: Likely increases MassHealth program expenditures to reimburse facilities for held beds; the magnitude depends on utilization and per diem rates. The bill text does not include specific appropriation or fiscal estimates.
  • Operational: Nursing facilities would have a stronger mechanism to reserve beds for short-term absences, potentially reducing relocation/disruption for residents and re-admission friction.
  • Beneficiary protections: Clarifies coverage for observation-status hospital stays >24 hours and provides a limited annual nonmedical leave reserve (10 days).

Procedural notes and timeline (as provided)

  • Introduced in the Senate 02/06/2025; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  • Further committee activity listed (Elder Affairs; Aging and Independence; Health Care Financing; Senate Ways & Means) including a hearing scheduled for 04/14/2025 and a committee “ought to pass” recommendation on 10/02/2025 (per the supplied actions).
  • The supplied metadata contains inconsistencies (duplicate referrals, an unrelated federal-style title, and federal sponsors). Confirm current status and official bill text on the Massachusetts Legislature website for the authoritative docket and fiscal notes.

Related/ancillary

  • The text references prior similar matter (Senate No. 393 of 2023–2024). No dollar amounts or funding sources are specified in the bill text; a fiscal note would be needed to estimate state cost.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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