The bill requires the division of medical assistance to study the cost and feasibility of changes to the eligibility requirements for Medicaid long-term care services, aiming to reduce the time applicants spend in acute care hospitals awaiting eligibility determinations. The study will consider improvements to the eligibility determination process, establishing a rebuttable presumption of eligibility, guaranteeing payment for long-term care services for up to one year regardless of eligibility status, and expanding the undue hardship waiver criteria. The division is tasked with seeking input from relevant stakeholders and submitting a report with findings and recommendations within 180 days of the act's effective date.

Recent improvements to the eligibility process include reducing the request for information timeline from 90 days to 30 days and allowing eligibility determinations without an SC-1 submission, which must now be submitted within 10 days of admission. The bill also discusses the implications of guaranteeing payment for long-term care services regardless of eligibility, which could lead to significant financial burdens on the state and a shift in the payer mix. Additionally, it addresses the current criteria for the Undue Hardship Waiver, which allows individuals disqualified from long-term care benefits to request exceptions based on undue hardship, while noting that MassHealth does not recommend expanding these criteria.