Interviewer: Dignity DigestGuest: Peter Tiernan Note: For more details on this issue, visit DignityMA Campaign to Restore Elder Care Services. Dignity Digest: Peter, let’s start with the problem. What’s happening with the Enhanced Community Options Program (ECOP) in Massachusetts right now? Peter Tiernan: The situation is deeply concerning. Over the past year, ECOP—Massachusetts’ enhanced home […]
Category: Advocacy
Issue Another explanation of this issue and proposal is a DignityMA Interview with Pete Tiernan: Unlocking Federal Funding to Eliminate Home Care Waitlists. In February 2025, the Healey-Driscoll Administration critically impacted a vital program that provides home care services to low-income seniors with complex care needs. The Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE) imposed […]
Providing Long-Term Supports and Services at Home for Our Nation’s Elders March 2026, By Richard Frank, Sherry Glied, Jonathan Gruber, Vani Agarwal, and Wendell Primus This twenty-page report proposes a fundamental shift in how the United States finances and delivers long-term supports and services (LTSS). Scroll down to see responses by DignityMA participants. The Crisis […]
Sent to the Joint Ways and Means on March 1, 2026 Download the FY2027 Budget Amendment Justification Recommendation (docx) or the FY2027 Budget Amendment Justification Recommendation (pdf). Introduction Re: Aligning the Impacts of Aging and Caregiving with the FY 2027 General Appropriations Bill (H.2) Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on the FY […]
April 1, 2026: A Tutorial in the Use of Artificial Intelligence Applications by Advocates Presented: James Lomastro, PhD, Chair , DignityMA FacilitiesWorkgroup and Coordinating Committee Member What AI does for advocates: This session will review basic concepts and techniques appropriate for any skill level. Download the slide deck: Using AI as an Advocacy Tool (pptx) […]
Problem Last June, Governor Healey capped the ECOP ( Enhanced Community Options Program) at 7,322 from 9,000. Once the cap is reached, new enrollees are put on a waiting list. Requiring frail elders to wait months for home care will inevitably lead to many developing worse health problems and ending up in nursing homes, said […]
To make cuts, state asks those affected *Boston GlobeMarch 8, 2026, By Jason Laughlin Summary: Facing a significant fiscal cliff driven by federal Medicaid spending reductions, Massachusetts is implementing $32 million in cuts to its 50-year-old Personal Care Attendant (PCA) program, which currently supports approximately 56,000 seniors and people with disabilities. In a unique move […]
March 5, 2026 Topics Speakers Video Photos
America’s Home-care Crisis: Will vulnerable elders be forced into nursing homes? Op-ed By Margaret Morganroth Gullette, February 10, 2026 in American Society on Aging – Generations Home care is what people want when they are offered a choice. You remain in a familiar neighborhood with people who respect you. Friends, neighbors, and other people are […]
Why Budget Priorities Now Amplify System Fragility February 2, 2026: Commentary about the proposed FY 2027 Massachusetts State Budget (H.2) Massachusetts enters this moment with almost no margin for error. The Governor’s FY27 budget reflects a defensive posture: approximately $22.5 billion for MassHealth and another $10.8 billion for Health and Human Services, yet provider reimbursement […]