AARP Massachusetts Weighs in on FY 2021 State Budget Recommendations

Read the letter from AARP MA State Director Mike Festa and State President Sandra Harris below:

December 8, 2020

The Honorable Charles Baker, Governor

Commonwealth of Massachusetts

State House

Boston, MA 02133

RE:        FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS

HOUSE BILL NO. 5164 - AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2021 FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE DEPARTMENTS, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, INSTITUTIONS AND CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMONWEALTH, FOR INTEREST, SINKING FUND AND SERIAL BOND REQUIREMENTS AND FOR CERTAIN PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS

Dear Governor Baker:

AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age.  On behalf of the nearly 38 million members nationwide and 760,000 members here in the Commonwealth, we urge you to fully fund the programs and services that help support older residents and accept the recommendations in House Bill No. 5164.

AARP thanks you and legislators for recommending a FY2021 budget that maintains key funding for vital programs and services for older Massachusetts residents, especially in this very fiscally-challenging year.  House Bill No. 5164 preserves funding for home and community based care, Councils on Aging, enhanced food assistance benefits, the Healthy Incentives Program, affordable health care coverage and other essential programs. These services will be key in helping residents get through the long road to recovery that we all have before us.

Nursing homes and other residential care facilities have been, and will continue to be, hard hit by this pandemic.  Massachusetts must take steps to ensure residents can access an affordable, high quality and safe long term care facility if they need one.  We must also fund programs and services that help individuals remain in their homes and communities and support the family caregivers who make it possible for them to do so.

AARP Massachusetts’ budget priorities include programs and services that recognize and support the critical role of family caregivers; help people stay in their own home and community; strengthen the financial security of Massachusetts residents; and encourage age-friendly communities.

In the final budget, we urge you to support the following:

• Preventing Future Nursing Home COVID-19 Outbreaks (Outside Section 108) - Directs guidance on hospital and nursing home COVID-19 prevention
• Nurse Licensure Compact Study (Outside Section 96 ) - Directs the Health Policy Commission to study the effectiveness of the expanded nurse licensure compact provisions in effect due to COVID-19 state of emergency
• Estate Recovery (Outside Section 42) – Reduces the amount of interest charged against an estate during the pandemic
• SNAP Gap/Common application (Line Item 4000-0300) – recommended language and funding to support pilot program to help eligible individuals more readily access food benefits
• Mental Health for Older Adults (Line Item 9110-1640) – recommended funding for geriatric mental health
• Operation ABLE (Line Item 7035-0002) – recommended language and funding to operate the program
• Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness (Line Item 4513-1111)- recommended language and funding for a statewide Alzheimer’s public awareness campaign
• Voting Safely (Outside Section 99) – Extends the no-excuse absentee voting options through March 31, 2021
• Medicare Savings Program (Outside Section 85) – transfer of funds to support the expansion of the Medicare Savings Program
• Meals on Wheels (Line Item 9110-1900) – recommended additional funding to operate the Elder Nutrition and Meals on Wheels
• Home and Community Based Care Rate Add On (Line-Item 9110-1635) – recommended language and funding to enhance rates paid to home care agencies to provide a wage and benefit increase to frontline home care
  

AARP appreciates the enormous amount of work the Commonwealth’s elected leaders have undertaken to address the unprecedented public health and economic crisis that we face. The gravity of the present challenge will require both recently enacted legislation and administrative directives and additional resources and investments to address the continued health and financial needs of the Bay Staters.

We urge you to include the highest possible funding and related language for these crucial programs and services. We look forward to working with you and would be happy to assist you in any way possible on these important issues. 

Thank you.

Very truly yours,                                        

Michael E. Festa                                                                                   Sandra Harris

State Director                                                                                      State President

Cc:         Members, Massachusetts General Court