(Boston Orange 編譯)麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey）今（22）日宣佈，在麻州協助同住者的個人照顧者，將不再需要繳納州或聯邦所得稅，此舉估計可為18,000名照護者，每年節省約5,000美元。
麻州政府要求美國國稅局確認，住家個人照護員（PCA）的薪資是否符合聯邦所得稅豁免資格，這是針對透過醫療補助支付薪資的住家照護提供者的計畫之一。
麻州的個人照護員（PCA）計畫由州內的醫療補助計畫MassHealth資助。
照護人員可在報稅時申請免稅，申請所得稅退還，並從1月1日起調整預扣稅額，以停止繳納該稅款。
衛生與公共服務廳長，直到最近仍是個人照顧者人力委員會（PCA Workforce Council）主席的基亞梅·馬哈尼亞（Kiame Mahaniah）表示，政府正努力讓為麻州居民提供重要服務的低薪人士生活得更可負擔。他指出，每小時約19.50美元至22.40美元的薪資很低，而且工作充滿挑戰，尤其是對照顧家人或家中其他人的工作者而言。
「 你與你所服務的人有情感連結，」他說。「我們永遠付不出他們應得的錢。」
威廉·凱爾（William Cail）照顧埃弗里特（Everett）一位婦女已經22年了。他在新冠病毒（COVID）疫情期間搬去和她同住，以保護她安全，然後就再也沒離開過。他估計免稅額每月能幫他省下幾百美元，能幫他支付搭公車或租車去科德角探望孩子的費用。
「現在真的很難，」他說。
在麻州內，總供約有60,000名個人照顧者（PCA）在州內照顧約50,000名符合MassHealth資格，需要人幫忙洗澡、穿衣及日常生活的身心障礙居民。麻州政府尚未估計此舉將損失多少稅收，但預期影響相對較小。
許多需要PCA服務的人是長者，根據麻州大學唐納休分校研究所（UMass Donahue Institute）的資料，預計到2050年，85歲及以上者的人數將翻倍。根據長者照護與身心障礙服務倡議組織 PHI 的說法，居家照護工作者是全國就業成長最快領域的一部分。
代表PCAs的1199SEIU居家照護副總裁Rebecca Gutman表示，這項免稅措施將幫助那些，其中甚至有許多依賴食物補助券（SNAP）、補充營養援助計畫（Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program）和補貼的醫療保險，掙扎度日子的照護者撐下去。隨著糧食援助面臨大幅削減及醫療成本上升，已經面臨財務困難的個人照護者（PCA）正準備迎接更多挑戰。
Rebecca Gutman說，「許多人選擇不買醫療保險，因為根本負擔不起」。她還指出，在美國居住不到五年的移民照護者正完全失去MassHealth的保障。免稅「無法解決所有問題，但是邁向正確方向的一步。」
Governor Healey Announces Major Tax Relief for Health Care Workers
Thousands of MassHealth Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) will no longer be subject to state or federal income taxes, saving $5,000+ per year
BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey announced that thousands of Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) will no longer be subject to state or federal income taxes, which is projected to save them $5,000 or more per year. PCAs are health care professionals who help people with disabilities keep their independence by aiding with activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing. The exemptions apply to PCAs who live in the same home as the person they care for.
“We are working every day to identify ways to make life more affordable for the people of Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey. “Personal Care Attendants do incredibly challenging work to care for the most vulnerable among us, and they shouldn’t have to also worry about being able to afford to meet their own basic needs. We want highly qualified, dedicated individuals to pursue and stay in careers as PCAs, but they need to be able to afford to do so. I’m proud of Secretary Mahaniah and his team for pursuing this ruling that will save PCAs thousands of dollars every year and grateful for the PCA Workforce Council’s efforts to support our hardworking PCAs.”
The Executive Office of Health and Human Services, through the PCA Workforce Council, requested a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to confirm that income earned by PCAs for providing MassHealth-covered PCA services to MassHealth members who live with them qualifies as “Difficulty of Care” payments. With that ruling, such income is now exempt from both federal and state income tax, which will save many PCAs $5,000 or more per year.
Approximately 60,000 people are employed as PCAs through the MassHealth PCA program, an estimated 18,000 of whom will qualify for this tax exemption. The program is a cornerstone of the state’s long-term services and supports system, and the care provided by PCAs supports more than 50,000 MassHealth members with disabilities to live independently at home and in the community.
“During an affordability crisis in our country, our Administration is exploring every action we can take to ease financial burdens on Massachusetts residents and support critical segments of our workforce,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kiame Mahaniah, MD, MBA, former chair of the PCA Workforce Council. “This exemption brings substantial tax relief for trained live-in friends and family members who are providing crucial health care services for MassHealth members with disabilities. We are proud of this step to support PCAs and the people they care for in continuing to live, work, and thrive in Massachusetts.”
The Healey-Driscoll Administration has implemented other beneficial changes for the PCA workforce since 2023 including increasing the PCA hourly wage, creating a seniority ladder, working to create a pathway to a PCA retirement plan, and increasing the number of holidays on which PCAs are paid at a premium rate of time-and-one-half the regular rate of pay.
“The mission of the PCA Council is to ensure access to a quality workforce,” said PCA Workforce CouncilExecutive Director Jocelyn Gordon. “By securing this tax relief, we’re not only enabling PCAs to keep more of their income, but we are significantly improving our state’s ability to hire and retain top-quality workers who do this critical work.”
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