Coverage anxiety...how do YOU manage it?

Carolyn,

I called the Commonwealth Care enrollment center about two weeks ago with a very similar question. My question was: "if someone leaves his/her job in the middle of the month, and their insurance carries over until the end of the month, how can that person avoid having a month without insurance?" The representative I spoke to said that if documentation could be provided proving that the employer-sponsored insurance ends at the end of the month, then that person can apply before their insurance technically ends. I am hoping that this is not just an isolated representative just telling me what I want to hear, but I think it is definitely something worth looking into.

Kate notes that self-employed people covered by the Insurance Partnership have lost part of their subsidy. Here are the specifics on the amount of the decrease:
$33.33/month on a single plan
$66.66/month on a couple or dual plan
$83.33/month on a family plan
Thanks to Simon Muil of the IP for the figures.

I recently had a call from a patient who was pregnant and was told if she was not returning to work after the birth of her child that her insurance would be terminated when she left her job. Due to husband's work restraints and location it was not feasible for her to return to work. She called me to be pro-active as her due date is in the fall.

She has health insurance now she so is not qualified for the State programs. When has lost her insurance she will be eligible Commonwealth Care but not before a month or two have passed. First the application to the State needs to be done and processed. Once the patient receives the State letter she can make the call to the Connector board and sign up for health insurance starting the first of the next month!

My patient is concerned as that leaves her and her child uninsured at a very critical time. Free Care will cover urgent times but Dr's appointments for Mom and Child will not be covered.

I wonder how many other outreach workers have experienced a problem because of the one month wait. Even with Essential MH the patient may call and be on the very next day.

Ann, we in this country give those undocumented immigrants jobs. It keeps our lifestyle cheap. An illegal immigrant worker probably picked the berries you had for breakfast or cleaned the Target you happily shopped in last week. OUR QUALITY OF LIFE IS BUILT ON THE BACKS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. As long as that is true, they deserve coverage and care. How would you like it if the illegal immigrant who made your salad at Chili's last night had untreated hepatitis A? Not so much.

Jacqueline put it so eloquently: Among Health Access workers there is a clear understanding that regardless of the documentation status people need help. Especially when they or their children are sick, we are lucky enough to live in Massachusetts where a human being is counted as valuable no matter what the situation.

I can't understand our State government has sold out the citizens of Massachsetts to the medical insurance companies.This is the biggest sham and ripoff of the century. Now they decided (the lawmakers)that I am a lawbreaker because I cannot afford the ripoff.We the people had no say on this and that is the worst betrayal of all.

Jacqueline:

I MOST certainly did read what she wrote.

Try the phrase "UNDOCUMENTED clients".

Sorry but anyone who breaks the law and thus, through their illegal conduct, causes their own problems in these circumstances does not deserve assistance - and certainly does not deserve to be subsidized by taxpayers.

So what if it causes them or their family a problem? They should have thought about that before violating immigration law, committing forgery, uttering, fraud by the use of forged or stolen ID, and stealing the ID of others. Just wait until you have your wallet stolen by a thief and the contents get passed around a group of illegals who run up bills, skip on the rent and create havoc with your Social Security records.

And save the 'oh but their children nonsense.' The offender didn't think about them when the committed the crimes. There isn't a lot of sympathy for the families or children of a thief who steals to make ends meet or of the person who steals a checkbook or credit card and uses them.

Commonwealth Care has certain eligibilty criteria, and those include being:

"You are a U.S. citizens/national, or legal alien"

That means that legal immigrants who are excluded from Medicaid by the 5 year rule are still eligible for CommonwealthCare. Illegals are not.

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=hicterminal&L=2&L0=Home&L1=Commonwealth+Care&sid=Qhic&b=terminalcontent&f=care_eligibility&csid=Qhic

They may 'file' a tax return but if "undocumented' they are most certainly not using a legitimate and real Social Security number. They can't get a Social Security number.

Great, they are going to file a return using someone else's stolen Soc. Sec. number and cause that person all kinds of problems.

As to whether an illegal alien can be a state resident as defined by law, that would depend upon the interpetation of Chpt.58, Sec. 12 (as set out below) as viewed in the context of Federal immigartion law so as to avoid conflicting results. It says:

CHAPTER 111M.

INDIVIDUAL HEALTH COVERAGE

Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
"Resident", a person who has:

(1) obtained an exemption under clause Seventeenth, Seventeenth C, Seventeenth C 1/2, Seventeenth D, Eighteenth, Twenty-second, Twenty-second A, Twenty-second B, Twenty-second C, Twenty-second D, Twenty-second E, Thirty- seventh, Thirty-seventh A, Forty-first, Forty-first A, Forty-first B, Forty- first C, Forty-second or Forty-third of section 5 of chapter 59;

(2) obtained an exemption under section 5C of said chapter 59;

(3) filed a Massachusetts resident income tax return under chapter 62;

(4) obtained a rental deduction under subparagraph (9) of paragraph (a) of Part B of section 3 of chapter 62;

(5) declared in a home mortgage settlement document that the mortgaged property located in the commonwealth would be occupied as his principal residence;

(6) obtained homeowner's liability insurance coverage on property that was declared to be occupied as a principal residence;

(7) filed a certificate of residency and identified his place of residence in a city or town in the commonwealth in order to comply with a residency ordinance as a prerequisite for employment with a governmental entity;

(8) paid on his own behalf or on behalf of a child or dependent of whom the person has custody, resident in-state tuition rates to attend a state-sponsored college, community college or university;

(9) applied for and received public assistance from the commonwealth for himself or his child or dependent of whom he has custody;

(10) has a child or dependent, of whom he has custody, who is enrolled in a public school in a city or town in the commonwealth, unless the cost of such education is paid for by him, such child or dependent, or by another education jurisdiction;

(11) is registered to vote in the commonwealth;

(12) obtained any benefit, exemption, deduction, entitlement, license, permit or privilege by claiming principal residence in the commonwealth; or

(13) is a resident under any other written criteria under which the commissioner of revenue may determine residency in the commonwealth

When someone's presence in the entire country is unlawful, they do not have any basis to argue that they are a 'resident' of a political subdivision.

Among Health Access workers there is a clear understanding that regardless of the documentation status people need help. Especially when they or their children are sick, we are lucky enough to live in Massachusetts where a human being is counted as valuable no matter what the situation.
Most of the individuals who are here in the situation that Fran was talking about are the people who my organization is trying to assist and to calm down. The anxiety and frustration comes from knowing that they are attempting to work towards a healthy future however they are not being allowed to.
The frustration also lies with the health access workers who understand and hope to be able to assist these idividuals but at the end of the day know that they are hitting a brick wall.
We have all worked very hard to get to the place where we are but understand that there is still so much more work to do.

To AnnS. Can she please reads the messages carefully. Fran is concerned about people who DO HAVE A WORK PERMIT, where the illegal interpretation comes from?

Ann

One of the things that makes living in Massachusetts something I appreciate is that there is an acceptance within state government that we have RESIDENTS in our society who contribute and work here but who may not have legal documentation. For example, when the feds initiated the 5 year rule to exclude even legally residing immigrants from Medicaid, Massachusetts created a state-funded MassHealth Limited option for emergency care. Our Free Care Pool and our other saftey net programs like Healthy Start have a longstanding history of providing health coverage for these HUMAN BEINGS who are residents of our state, regardless of the paperwork. While I am glad that you read this and participate in this blog from another state but it is important to respect the norms of Massachusetts and our public coverage programs.

I would also suggest that while there may be ideological differences about immigration, Fran and others are all working to help real people with families and loved ones who need health care. This is what outreach workers do; they assist people in need with whatever is available. I believe the issue that Fran raised is that these folks are confused and need help understanding what they need to do. They pay taxes, they live and work here; they are eligible for some health coverage programs but not others. What expectations are there for these folks regarding the mandate. I'd be confused and worried too.

"Fran Bakstran Says
We are beginning to see our undocumented clients who have work authorizations and file state tax returns concerned that they have to pay the Choice premiums to meet the mandate, which they can't afford and are equally concerned/confused when told that they can ask for a waiver based on the affordability guidelines. Because the reality is they would like to get health insurance but the cost would be prohibitive"

Sorry Fran but if you are looking for sympathy for people who are here ILLEGALLY, look somewhere else. Save this "undocumented" nonsense -the word is ILLEGAL as presnt in violation of the laws of this country.

Thanks goodness they are NOT eligible for tapayer subsidized coverage. They want such coverage? Get LEGAL.

Bad enough that they forge ID, use forged ID (called 'uttering' when passing forged documents), steal the ID of others or use stolen ID. All of those are felonies.

So they lose their tax exemption. Big deal. If they had obeyed the law, they wouldn't have the problem.