Personal Care Attendant Quality
Home Care Workforce Council
600 Washington Street, 5th Floor – Rm. 5189
Boston, MA  02111 

DEVAL L. PATRICK
Governor

TIMOTHY P. MURRAY
Lieutenant Governor

JUDYANN BIGBY, M.D.
Secretary

Tel.:  617-210-5715
www.mass.gov/
masshealth/pcacouncil

Personal Care Attendant Quality Home Care Workforce Council
 
One Ashburton Place
Boston, MA 02108

General Council Meeting

Minutes	October 14, 2008	2:00 P.M.	21st floor, Conference Room 3	
 	
coUNCIL
 members in attendance	Joe Bellil, Liz Casey, Paul Spooner, Joe Tringali, Jean McGuire	
 Staff attending	Jack Boesen, Michelle Byrd	
 chair	Jean McGuire, Chair	
Note taker	Michelle Byrd	
agenda setting	No issues were added to previously-issued agenda	

The Chair began the meeting with an informational session at 2:10 pm.

Report on SILC Workshop
Jack Boesen provided council members with a written report on the September 16th workshop.  Eileen Brewster, Joe Bellil and Paul Spooner participated.  Joe Bellil expressed his support for the Council’s participation in both the MRC and SILC conferences this year.  Paul Spooner suggested the Council continue to promote its work at future conferences.  The report will be posted on the Council’s web-site.

CY2009 Council Meeting Schedule
Council members were provided with the schedule for upcoming meetings for 2009.  Meeting space has been secured on the 21st floor of One Ashburton Place, Conference Room #1.

MassHealth Presentation
Lois Aldrich provided the council with data on Phase I of the PCA Audit being carried out by the Office of the Inspector General and CMS. Phase I of the audit looked at claims submitted by MassHealth members for PCA services which overlapped stays by the members in care facilities including hospital and nursing homes for the period of October 2004-September 2005.  200 claims were audited showing an overlap of 59%.  MassHealth’s response to the audit findings will address issues of internal controls and referrals by MassHealth to the Bureau of Special Investigations in cases of suspected fraud.  MassHealth will also address the inclusion of new language provided to consumers regarding the proper use and billing of PCA services during hospitalizations and other stays in care facilities.  Joe Tringali asked if any consumers were contacted during the audit. He expressed concern that consumers were submitting claims because their needs were not being met in care facilities.  Lois explained that the audit did not include direct input from consumers however; Medicare will not pay for PCA services during hospital stays since they are considered a duplication of services.  Jean McGuire said this issue is relevant to the work of the Council and suggested that the council investigate the pressures on consumers, which may have led to these duplicated services, and propose how MassHealth and the Council could develop solutions.  Joe Bellil suggested that this issue could be included in the Council’s biannual report to the Governor and Legislature.  At this time, MassHealth does not know when Phase II of the audit will begin or the data that will be examined.

Report from the Bargaining Committee
Paul Spooner announced that an agreement on collective bargaining had been reached.  Gary Lawrence, a PCA involved in collective bargaining read a letter to the Council thanking them for their involvement in the process.  The Council asked to be provided with a copy of the letter.  Liz Casey called the agreement historic and unique.  Joe Tringali said he found the entire process educational and expressed his hopes that all parties involved could build on what was learned and move forward.  Jean McGuire expressed her gratitude to everyone involved in the process.

At 2:40 p.m. the Chair asked for a motion to end the Executive session from the September 8, 2008 council meeting. Joe Bellil made a motion to adjourn and Joe Tringali seconded.  The motion was passed unanimously.

The Chair called the October 13th meeting to order at 2:40 p.m.

Council Task force on the Biannual Report
 Joe Bellil reviewed the action items being worked on by the task force with the Council.  Joe Tringali recommended the work improvement group meet and provide recommendation for section IV of the report.  Jean McGuire asked for further detail on the process.  Jack Boesen explained that additional data collection from the Data Survey would be included in the report.  When this data is received, he suggested a formal meeting by the council be held to review and approve the report. 

Council Budget Report
Joe Bellil reported on the FY09 Council budget.   Joe reviewed the budget categories for the final 2009 operating budget with council members.  

Approval of Meeting Minutes
Joe Bellil made a motion to approve the September general session minutes.  Paul Spooner seconded, and those minutes were unanimously approved.   

Paul Spooner made a motion to approve the September Executive session minutes.  Joe Tringali seconded the motion and those minutes were unanimously approved.

PCA Scholarship Program Update
Michelle Byrd reported to the Council that the next CPR training course will be held at Massasoit Community College on October 30, 2008.  Two additional trainings are planned for Quinsigamond and Roxbury Community College.  A formal report on the two previous training sessions held at Holyoke and Roxbury Community College will be provided to the Council at the next meeting.

Report on the Referral Directory
Jack Boesen reported that the last meeting regarding the Directory dealt with technical issues.  He expressed his hope that by the next council meeting there would be an announcement of a signed contract with the vendor.

With no other items to be discussed, Joe Bellil made a motion to adjourn. Liz Casey seconded, the motion was approved unanimously.

The council meeting adjourned at 3:07 p.m.