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 […]
Category: state legislation
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 […]
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 […]
By Richard T. Moore, February 1, 2026 A wellness check is one of the simplest tools we have to prevent harm. It is not a diagnosis, an accusation, or a solution in itself. It is a pause prompted by concern—a moment to ask whether someone is safe, supported, and able to manage under current conditions. […]
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When Delay Becomes Harm
January 26, 2026 How Prolonged Litigation is Keeping Nursing Home Residents in Unsafe, Crowded Rooms. The Case of River Terrace Operator LLC, et al. v. MA Department of Public Health. Resident Safety. Dignity. Infection control. None should be optional. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When Delay Becomes Harm Nearly four years after the Massachusetts Department of Public Health […]
October 14, 2025 Twenty Dignity Alliance Massachusetts individual and organizational participants, including those named below, endorse the following statement: To promote the quality of support provided by airport employees and their retention, we urge Massport to require all lessees, permittees, contractors, and subcontractors operating at Boston Logan International Airport to comply with the following requirements: […]
Editor’s note: This statement is the personal expression of the author. It does not necessarily reflect the position of Dignity Alliance Massachusetts or any other DignityMA participant. DignityMA is a non-partisan organization and welcomes statements from all parties who support older adults, people with disabilities and caregivers. About the Author: Richard T. Moore of Uxbridge […]
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:
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 a MA issue. For now, […]
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 Committee on Aging and Independence, […]