Baker-Polito Administration Announces $800 Million For Healthcare Provider

The Baker-Polito Administration today announced a new financial package to support providers through the MassHealth program.

The Administration also announced new resources to support older adults living in long-term care facilities and their families, including a Nursing Home Mobile Testing Program and a Nursing Home Family Resource Line. Earlier today, the Administration and CVS announced a new rapid-testing site in Lowell.

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MassHealth Financial Resources: The Baker-Polito Administration has announced a new infusion of $800 million at MassHealth in critical stabilization funding to support health care providers impacted by and responding to COVID-19.

Health care providers across the Commonwealth have stepped up in unprecedented ways in the past few weeks while experiencing a significant impact on their revenue and operations.

This funding will support hospitals, nursing facilities, primary care providers, behavioral health providers, and long-term services and supports providers and will be distributed starting this month and through July.

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This funding is in addition to the $290 million in immediate cash relief and $550 million in accelerated payments to providers announced in March. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation.

These resources include:

• More than $400 million to hospitals

• The majority of this funding will support 28 safety net and high-Medicaid hospitals, to address lost revenue and increased costs for hospitals at the front lines of treating patients with COVID-19

• This includes a 20% rate increase for COVID-19 care, as well as a 7.5% across-the-board rate increase for other hospital care
• More than $80 million for Nursing Facilities

• $50 million will be dedicated funding for all nursing facilities across the state

• Facilities and units within nursing facilities that are designated COVID-19 sites of care will receive approximately $30 million in additional funding to support their capacity to care for COVID-19 patients

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• More than $300 million for other health care providers that are delivering medical care for COVID-19 or providing services that keep residents safe in their homes and out of the hospital, including:

• More than $50 million for community health centers

• Around $30 million for personal care attendants

• Funding for ambulance providers physicians, community behavioral health providers, and Home Health Agencies

• Funding for certain long-term services and supports day programs such as Adult Day Health or Day Habilitation programs that have converted from group programs to actively serving members via alternative means