Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H1371: An Act to support equal access to community care for elders and persons with disabilities
Status: In committee, April 16, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
Subsection (5) of section 25 of Chapter 118E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph, contained in lines 56 through 61, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:- In any case where the monthly income of an applicant or recipient is in excess of the exemptions allowed, the applicant or recipient, if otherwise eligible for Medicaid under this chapter, shall be liable to pay to the provider of medical care or service an amount which shall be equal to the excess income for a period of six consecutive months, which includes the period when such service was provided, except if the individual is an applicant or recipient for home or community-based services pursuant to a waiver granted under 42 USC 1396a(10)(A)(ii)(VI) or a Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), under 42 USC 1396u-4 or 42 USC 1395eee, the applicant or recipient shall be liable to pay to the provider of medical care or service an amount which shall be equal to the excess income reduced by the difference between the applicable MassHealth deductible-income standard and 300 percent of the federal benefit rate; provided, however, this exception shall not apply to individuals eligible for the “special income eligibility group,” the requirements for which are …
Sponsors
- Natalie Higgins (D, 4th Worcester) · primary sponsor
- Tackey Chan (D, 2nd Norfolk)
- Rebecca Rausch (D, Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex)
- Danillo Sena (D)
- Tarr, Andrew (D, 5th Essex)
- William Galvin (D, 6th Norfolk)
- Mindy Domb (D, 3rd Hampshire)
- James Eldridge (D, Middlesex and Worcester)
- Natalie Blais (D, 1st Franklin)
- Jacob Oliveira (D)
- Christopher Flanagan (D)
- Christine Barber (D)
Latest actions
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
- : Reporting date extended to Monday, June 15, 2026
- : Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- : Hearing scheduled for 07/01/2025 from 10:00 AM-12:30 PM in Gardner Auditorium
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Health Care Financing
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Health Care Financing (April 9, 2026): 13 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H1371?
- H1371 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act to support equal access to community care for elders and persons with disabilities.
- What is the status of H1371?
- In committee as of April 16, 2026. Latest action: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means (April 16, 2026).
- Who sponsored H1371?
- Natalie Higgins (D, 4th Worcester), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H1371?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1371
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.