BOSTON--Legislation unanimously approved by the Massachusetts House of Representatives last week would give the state's elderly and disabled the choice of receiving care either at home or in a nursing home.

Its advocates say the "equal choice" bill, sent to Gov. Mitt Romney Wednesday, would end the "institution-first" policy of MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program, and save money by managing long-term care dollars better.

According to news reports, about three-quarters of MassHealth funding for long-term care currently goes toward nursing homes. The proposed legislation would shift that traditional emphasis to "a choice of care setting that is the least restrictive and most appropriate to meet [beneficiary] needs as determined by the division."

The legislation calls for pre-admission counseling to let people know there are community alternatives to nursing home care.