How to help eligible immigrants stay on Commonwealth Care

MassHealth recently increased training of eligibility workers, improved systems, and designated specific people at the MassHealth Enrollment Centers (MECs) to process updates to your clients’ immigration status. People who call to update information can now be transferred to an "immigration specialist" for help with complicated cases.

It is important to check and update immigration information right away, because members who are deemed "Aliens with Special Status" (AWSS) will no longer be eligible for Commonwealth Care after August 31. Some people who are in the system as AWSS may be redetermined as eligible "qualified aliens" if they provide MassHealth with additional information.

For more information, please see:

• A 2-page Immigrant Eligibility Checklist (PDF) from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute that explains who should still be eligible as well as who can help you figure it out

• Samples of a letter from Secretary Bigby (PDF) and official notices from MassHealth, both to members being downgraded to MassHealth Limited (PDF) and to members being downgraded to Health Safety Net only (PDF)

Commonwealth Care members who are AWSS and have severe mental or physical health conditions should inform MassHealth that they have a disability (to establish a start date for any retroactive coverage) and file the Disability Supplement (PDF).

For background information on this issue, please see our prior web post on this topic.