BOSTON - The Long-Term Care bill signed Thursday includes diverse accommodations. It aims to help those who are elderly and their families, those who are disabled, and the people that care for them. With the stroke of Gov. Maura Healey’s pen, one local man’s legacy was etched in state law. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Long-Term Care bill signed Thursday includes diverse accommodations

  • The way that MassHealth and Medicare work, once someone dies their estate is seized to pay for their care

  • Now this Long Term Care Act will prevent MassHealth from seizing any assets 

  • It also works to fund the caretakers, create oversight and ensures facilities have a plan to curb outbreaks of sicknesses like the flu or COVID-19

“I'm here today because my partner, Joe Tringale, he was instrumental in trying to get this bill passed and he passed away in December,” Kathy Edgell said. “So, I'm here instead.”

Edgell was with her partner Joe for 22 years. A quadriplegic for most of his life, Joe wanted to leave his estate to his children. But the way that MassHealth and Medicare work, once someone dies their estate is seized to pay for their care. Joe didn’t want that for his family. 

Chris Palames met Joe in the hospital when they were both paralyzed in 1968. He’s been an advocate for independent living in western Massachusetts for his entire career. And wished Joe could see Gov. Maura Healey put the pen to paper. 

“The provision to the bill for estate recovery affected us. We had no prospect of being able, at any time, to pass on any resources to our kids or grandkids,” said Palames. “This bill will relieve that in a significant way. It does a lot of other important things, but that was the provision.” 

The Long-Term Care Act allocates money for the workforce, ensures people are cared for with dignity with oversight from the state, and for Chris, allows his family to recover his estate. Joe passed away in December, before the bill became law, his family is unsure if it will impact his estate. 

“Joe had been a MassHealth user. He had been in a wheelchair since he was 16 years old. So he was in a wheelchair for 55 years,” said Edgell. “This meant a great deal to us on a personal level. as well as on a social justice level in terms of representing people who are often underrepresented.”

This law will go into effect in the coming months. And as for Joe Tringale’s family, they get to see his hard work come to fruition for all those who will come after him.