MassHealth Matters II: Options for Reforming Long-Term Services and Supports

Long-term services and supports (LTSS) allow hundreds of thousands of people of all ages with disabilities and chronic conditions to live their daily lives with independence and dignity. The number of Americans needing LTSS is expected to surge from 12 million in 2010 to 27 million in 2050. In Massachusetts, roughly 750,000 people report having a disability. Meanwhile, the state’s population is projected to age rapidly over the next two decades, with the number of seniors (those over age 65) increasing by 46 percent. MassHealth, as the dominant payor of LTSS in Massachusetts, – accounting for nearly half of all LTSS spending – could see its LTSS costs more than double by 2030. Facing a growing elder population and people with disabilities living longer, now is the time for an important discussion about improving LTSS services to better meet the needs of people with disabilities and do so in a more cost effective manner.

On Tuesday, May 10, the second in a series of Foundation events and publications on LTSS picked up where the first had left off. Carol Raphael of Manatt Health Solutions provided an overview of options for reforming the way MassHealth purchases and supports access to LTSS. Following the presentation, Alice Bonner, Secretary of the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and Daniel Tsai, Assistant Secretary for MassHealth and Medicaid Director, participated in a community conversation around the future of MassHealth LTSS. The event concluded with a reactor panel of experts and stakeholders.