2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title XVII - Public Welfare › Chapter 118e - Division of Medical Assistance › Section 13e - Appeals of Interim or Final Rates

Section 13E. Except for rates established under section 13F, any person, corporation or other party aggrieved by an interim rate or a final rate established by the executive office or a governmental unit designated to perform ratemaking functions by the executive office, or by failure of the executive office to set a rate or to take other action required by law and desiring a review thereof shall, within 30 days after said rate is filed with the state secretary or may, at any time, if there is a failure to determine a rate or take any action required by law, file an appeal with the division of administrative law appeals established by section 4H of chapter 7. Any appeal filed under this section shall be accompanied by a certified statement that said appeal is not interposed for delay. On appeal, the rate determined for any provider of services shall be adequate, fair and reasonable for such provider, based upon, the costs of such provider, but not limited thereto.
On an appeal from an interim rate or a final rate the division of administrative law appeals shall conduct an adjudicatory proceeding under chapter 30A, and said division shall file its decision with the secretary of the executive office and the state secretary within 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing.
Said decision shall contain a statement of the reasons for such decision, including a determination of each issue of fact or law upon which such decision was based. If such decision results in a recommendation for a rate different from that certified, the executive office shall establish a new rate based upon such statement of reasons. If the secretary of the executive office determines that the statement of reasons is inadequate to determine a fair, reasonable and adequate rate, it may remand the appeal to the hearing officer for further investigation. Any party aggrieved by a decision of the division may, within 30 days of the receipt of such decision, file a petition for review in superior court for the county of Suffolk, which shall have exclusive jurisdiction of such review.
A provider may appeal as an aggrieved party under the preceding sentence, in the event that a remand by the executive office to a hearing officer does not result in a final decision by the executive office within 21 days of the date of remand.
The petition shall set forth the grounds upon which the decision of the division should be set aside. The aggrieved party shall, within 7 days after the petition for review is filed, notify the executive office and all the parties to the appeal before said division that a petition for review has been filed by sending each a copy thereof. Within 40 days after the petition for review is filed, or within such further time as the court may allow, the division of administrative law appeals shall file in court the original or a certified copy of the record under review. The court may affirm, modify or set aside the decision of the executive office in whole or in part, remand the decision to the executive office for further proceedings or enter such other order as justice may require. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the division from granting temporary relief if, in its discretion, such relief is justified nor, from informally adjusting or settling controversies with the consent of all parties.
Judicial review shall be governed by section 14 of chapter 30A to the extent not inconsistent with this section.