News

The Dignity Alliance MA Legislative Group has prepared testimony for the June 24 Joint Committee on Aging and Independence Hearing. You need to sign up for Online or Oral Testimony by June 23 at 11:55 p.m. DignityMA Testimony:

• In Support of S.154/H.253, An Act establishing guardians as providers of ...
  
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Report from Michigan Elder Justice Initiative and The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Public Funds into Private Pockets: How Nursing Homes May Be Hiding Profits and Depriving Residents of Care and Quality 2025-06-04 Read or Download Public Funds into Private Pockets (pdf) Executive Summary Nationally, Medicare and Medicaid ...

Wheelchair Repair bills have been under consideration for several years. DignityMA has supported it for several years. Jim Lomastro of DignityMA wrote Private Equity and Wheelchair Services: A National Crisis which digs into the roots of the issue, and describes how it actually is a national crisis and not just ...

The Great Hall in the State House was awash in a sea of blue Tuesday, May 13, 2025 when more than 600 older adults and their supporters, most wearing vivid blue tee shirts, held their annual “Older Adult Lobby Day”. State Representative Thomas Stanley (D-Waltham), House Chair of the Joint ...

The next AGE Committee public hearing will be on June 24th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in B-1 Sign Up to testify using this form. The form is primarily for those testifying virtually, but we are also using it to gather information for those testifying in person to both ...

Medicaid: An American Medical Care Disgrace
Tallgrass Economics, May 13, 2025
By Dave Kingsley Everyone But the Totally Uninsured Receives Government Subsidized Medical Care. Only the Poor are Stigmatized     Practically all medical care in the U.S. is subsidized by federal and state governments – mostly by the federal government. The taxes ...

Does Private Equity Harm the Welfare of Residents in Nursing Homes?
Promarket.org, May 19, 2025
By Robert Field
Robert Field argues that private equity’s impact on price competition among nursing homes is limited because prices are mostly determined by Medicaid. However, private equity does impact quality and labor outcomes, which deserve greater government ...

“ReiMAgine Aging 2030: The Massachusetts Plan” The Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence has issued a draft of a five-year plan regarding aging in Massachusetts. The plan defines Aging & Independence’s role as the statewide leader in addressing the needs of older adults and their caregivers across Massachusetts. This ...

On May 5, 2025, Governor Healey signed an Executive Order and released a new age-friendly state plan which will outline improved ways for Massachusetts agencies to serve older adults, following feedback gathered from across the state. In recognition of Older Americans Month, Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and Aging & ...

Download Testimony in Support of Bills at Health Care Financing (pdf) Dignity Alliance Massachusetts appreciates the opportunity to provide testimony on several matters scheduled for public hearing on May 12, 2025. More than one million residents of Massachusetts are over age 65, or about 18.47% of the population (55.6% are ...

Download Testimony in Support of Bills at Aging and Independence Committee (pdf) “There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home.” If you're old enough to remember watching the Wizard of Oz when it was only on television once a year, you remember that ...

State Health Planning to Improve Access to Care in Massachusetts: Needs and Current Tools
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
April 30, 2025 A well-functioning health care system should provide affordable and timely access to needed health care for all residents, without regard to their race, ethnicity, income, zip code, age, ...

Session is postponed. Presenter: Bob Blancato, National Coordinator of the bipartisan 3000-member Elder Justice Coalition Registration required for Aging Policy Update Bob discusses the current state of aging policy at the national level under the new Congress and Administration. This presentation will focus on key shifts in aging policy, identifies ...

June 5, 2025 This DignityMA Study Session reviews the Trump Administration's coordinated attack on disability rights, through the issuance of executive orders that eliminate legal claims and disability rights, rescind disability regulations, and challenge important disability precedents. Steven discussed strategies to oppose these efforts, particularly in light of the drastic ...

New PESP report reveals private equity continues to acquire and bankrupt nursing homes
Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP), April 23, 2025 The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) has released a report, “Private Equity Is Continuing to Acquire – and Bankrupt – Nursing Homes,” which reveals that private equity firms continue to ...

Trump Cuts Threaten Agency Running Meals on Wheels New York Times (free access), April 24, 2025
By Reed Abelson A tiny division responsible for overseeing services for people with disabilities and older Americans is being dismantled as part of an overhaul by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary. Every Monday, ...

May 22, 2025 - A DignityMA Study Session Presenter: James Roosevelt, JD, former Associate Commissioner, U.S. Social Security Administration Jim advises health care payers, providers, trade associations, and service providers on business matters, legislative and regulatory issues, governance, and personnel matters. He regularly represents medical device and medical process startups, ...

Sara Kallock (1987-2024)
Sara’s 38th birthday is April 15. Sara Kallock was an active DignityMA participant for the last months of her life.

Sara was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic cancer of the pancreas in mid-September 2023.

She became involved with DignityMA after months of advocating on behalf of her father who was ...

2024 Double G Citations: Significant Increase in Nursing Home Noncompliance and Penalties Long Term Care Community Coalition Substandard care, abuse, and neglect are persistent and widespread problems in nursing homes, primarily due to inadequate enforcement of minimum safety standards. To help combat this, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ...