Advocacy Efforts in Massachusetts Gaining Publicity

Submitted by Rick Hynick, Director, Client and Family Advocacy (GAO)

As advocacy efforts continue to progress toward a State Medicaid rate increase for nursing services, to help individuals with complex medical needs, excitement around the movement throughout Boston and much of the state is starting to build.  On July 30, the Boston Globe featured a lead article about one of the families most effected by the matter.  The article showed how this family has not had nursing coverage in more than 100 consecutive days because of the low Medicaid reimbursement rates.  Two days later, WGBH-TV of Boston ran an on-air piece featuring the Mom from the Globe article and another Mom who is a leading advocate showing the urgency that the 900 plus Massachusetts families needing home care nursing services are facing on a daily basis.