Since the legislature decided to end Commonwealth Care eligibility for some legal immigrants as of September 1, HAN members have been fielding lots of calls from concerned and confused immigrant clients.
Our special guest was Toby Guevin, State Policy Director for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition. We discussed the categories that determine immigrants’ eligibility for health benefits; gaps and barriers to coverage; and what policy changes the future could bring.
Outreach workers at this month’s HAN meeting in Amherst reported happily that it’s getting easier to communicate with the MassHealth Enrollment Center (MEC) and Central Processing Unit (CPU). Delays in the Medical Security Program (MSP), on the other hand, only appear to be getting worse. We were joined this month by Michael Norton and Niki Conte from the Commonwealth Connector Authority, who talked extensively with HAN members about problems and solutions within Commonwealth Care.
In mid-February, we surveyed our network about what it's been like to call the MassHealth Enrollment Centers (MECs). One-hundred and thirty people responded to our survey, from 43 separate organizations.
The economic downtown shaped the conversation at our Boston HAN meeting on November 13, as it had in Amherst the week before. Outreach workers reported a big increase in new applicants; they’re also hoping that an incoming Obama administration might make it easier for some of them to get into the system.
The economic downturn shaped a lot of our discussion – how it affects clients, state services, and our own organizations. For example, more clients find themselves in tears during appointments – some with problems like home foreclosure that outreach workers just can’t help fix. Many HAN organizations are taking on additional responsibilities with fewer staff. CP has also cut back staffing; we are now closed on Wednesdays.
As you may have read in our meeting notes, we had the opportunity to talk with Veterans' Services Officer Leo Parent at our September 5 Health Access Network (HAN) meeting. As Leo described his role, we realized how similar the work of Veterans Services Officers (or veterans' agents) and outreach and enrollment workers can be. Both help clients navigate state, federal, and local systems, and secure health care and other benefits for people in their communities. Veterans’ agents help their clients avoid medical debt when they need to seek care outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital system, and help veterans appeal denials of claims.
At our September 5 Western HAN meeting, we met with Leo Parent - an experienced Veterans’ Services Officer in the Western part of the state - and had a lively discussion of enrollment issues.
This summer, MassHealth starting enforcing the rule that households who hadn’t paid their premium bills for 60 days or more would lose their MassHealth or Children’s Medical Security Program (CMSP) coverage. Members of these households may be starting to show up at hospitals and health centers, they may have no coverage, and they can’t get the Health Safety Net.
Our June 6 Western HAN meeting was an opportunity to step back and reflect on the next steps toward universal coverage in Massachusetts.
