The House of Representatives this week adopted its FY 2023 budget recommendation which includes an additional $40 million in funding for nursing homes to continue to fund nursing facility workforce wage investments. Mass Senior Care will continue to advocate for vital workforce funds over multiple appropriation bills including the FY 2023 state budget, the FY 2022 surplus budget, and the ARPA appropriation bill.
In addition, the House adopted three important amendments supported by Mass Senior Care which would increase the supply of staff to address the current 7,000 vacant direct care worker nursing positions and allow for the continuation of timely COVID-19 surveillance testing in order to prevent COVID outbreaks. Specifically:
- CNA Certification Pilot Program, filed by Representative Carol Doherty, would direct EOHHS to establish and implement a Health Care Worker CNA Certification Pilot Program to demonstrate the impact of a work-based learning program that offers paid training of incumbent health care workers with limited access to current CNA certification training and difficulty attending traditionally scheduled classes while fulfilling their current work responsibilities. Mass Senior Care would be a member of the CNA Certification Pilot Program Advisory Committee.
- Supporting Access to COVID-19 Rapid Tests, filed by Chairwoman Denise Garlick, would modernize the Commonwealth’s laboratory laws to allow nursing facilities and other congregate settings to perform CLIA-waived tests including COVID-19 point-of-care tests when the PHE ends. Point of care testing is critical to identifying infection and preventing widespread outbreaks in congregate settings.
Health Sciences Education and Workforce Innovation, Amendment 1517, filed by Chairman John Lawn, would direct the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, in consultation with the executive office of health and human services to shall study the feasibility of establishing a Massachusetts school of health sciences education and center for health care workforce innovation at the Mount Ida campus in the city of Newton. The potential establishment of a health sciences education center would help develop solutions to address the critical workforce issue.
The FY2023 budget now moves to the Senate for action. Mass Senior Care will continue to work with members to advocate for increased workforce funding for nursing facilities.