The Maine State House in Augusta

Supporters of a bill that would transform Maine’s long-term care system by directing more state money toward home-based care rallied for a news conference at Maine’s State House on Monday, April 6.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Matt Peterson, D-Rumford, and a bi-partisan list of co-sponsors. Its supporters include Maine’s AARP, the Office of Elder Services, the Maine Women’s Lobby, and the state’s personal care attendants — who say they think they would receive benefits and better pay if more state money went into home-based care (“Bill Aims to Overhaul Maine’s Long-Term Care System by July 2010,” Maine Public Broadcasting Network, April 6).

In a March 28 post to his MySpace blog, Peterson wrote that the LD 1078, An Act to Strengthen Sustainable Long-term Supportive Services for Maine Citizens, would “streamline operations, remove duplicative administrative costs” and “make [Maine’s long-term care system] easier to access and less expensive to operate.” He also said it would standardize the system’s wage rates and administrative rates.

“Our senior citizens and people with a disability should have the option to stay in their own homes and communities rather than being forced to use more costly institutional services,” he wrote. “It makes sense for everyone — and saves taxpayer dollars.”

Rep. Matt Peterson, D-Rumford, Maine

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network reports that 90 percent of state money for long-term care currently goes to residential nursing homes and group homes.

Peterson, who is himself disabled, told West Central Maine’s Sun Journal that “The goal is to move toward a more 50-50 balance between institutional long-term care and home-based care. At the heart of [the bill] is the promotion of consumer choice” (“Bill to overhaul long-term care,” April 7).

This focus on consumer choice is welcome news to Elise Scala of the University of Southern Maine’s Health Policy Institute. Scala, who serves as project coordinator for the Quality Choice Grant that created the Maine Personal Assistance Services Association, told PHI the new bill “was a long time coming.” She says she is “cautiously watching and hoping for improvements for consumer choice and reimbursement rates structures that support quality jobs and workforce development.”

Scala emphasizes the importance of the workforce issue. “I question programs that say they can ‘do it cheaper’ while they employ front line workers with low wages, no affordable health insurance, and no continuing training funds,” she says. “Policy change that improves choice for consumers while not ensuring the quality services of an available and qualified workforce offers a poor choice.

“I am very hopeful that the bill can bring advocates together to address the very serious issues in long-term care services and workforce development.”

At least a part of her hope may be answered by a further piece of legislation that Peterson hinted at in his March 28 blog post:

I will also be introducing a companion measure that will raise the wages for these workers who provide such an essential service to our senior citizens and people with a disability. These home care workers live and work in every Maine community, and these are jobs that cannot be shipped overseas. Investing in these workers is an important way we can invest in our communities by providing quality jobs and a livable wage.