Calendar: MassHealth Hearing Improving PCA Program
Subject:
Overtime and Intra-Day Travel Time for Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) under the MassHealth PCA Program.
Purpose:
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) will host a series of public statewide listening sessions on recent changes to federal regulations implementing the Fair Labor Standards Act
(FLSA) and the MassHealth PCA Program's implementation of these requirements. The purpose of these listening sessions will be to gather information from PCA consumers, PCAs, interested stakeholders and the general public on how to improve the PCA program in a way that ensures consumers receive all of their authorized PCA services while minimizing the need for PCAs to work overtime. These listening sessions will be an opportunity for MassHealth to obtain input on ways to enhance the health care experience of PCA consumers and to gather ideas on how to make the MassHealth PCA program more sustainable. We welcome all members of the public who wish to share their ideas with MassHealth and help us work through design challenges related to the recent changes under the FLSA.
Background:
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a Final Rule revising DOL regulations that implement the FLSA. The result of this new rule is that PCAs may receive overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per
week for one o
r more consumers cumulatively and pay for intra-day travel time when traveling between one consumer employer's home and another consumer employer's home on the same day to provide PCA services.
What MassHealth is Doing:
Beginning on January 1, 2016, PCAs will automatically receive overtime pay for hours worked in excess of 40 hours per week for one or more consumers combined and pay for intra-day travel time in which a PCA travels between one consumer employer's home and another consumer employer's home on the s
ame day to prov
ide PCA services. To facilitate this, MassHealth's contracted fiscal intermediaries will track the cumulative hours worked by PCAs each week, even if they work for more than one consumer, and will automatically calculate any intra-day travel time.
Prior to January 1, 2016, if a consumer needs to schedule a PCA to work more than 40 hours per week, the consumer must contact his/her designated personal care management agency to make a request for prior authorization for premium pay for overtime, as described under MassHealth PCA regulations at 130 CMR 422.420(A)(13).
Listening Sessions:
Information on the three public listening sessions is below. Please note that these sessions are open to all members of the public.
Disability-Related Accommodations:
Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) services and ASL Interpretation will be available. If disability-related accommodations are required for you to attend, or you need materials in other formats, please contact:
Erin.Dore@state.ma.us
.
Comments:
Can be sent to:
Erin.Dore@state.ma.us.
Additional Hearings
When: Friday, January 22, 2016, 1:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Where: Saxe Meeting Room, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Square, Worcester, MA 01608
Call in Information: 877-929-7125
Participant code: 3608246
When: Wednesday, January 27, 2016, 1:00 - 3:00 P.M.
Where: Community Room, Mason Square Branch, Springfield Public Library, 765 State Street, Springfield, Springfield, MA 01109
Call In Information: 866-565-6580
Participant code:
9593452 (note correction)
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