I decided at the last minute to "live blog" the HCFA conference. I wanted to send some of the conference out to outreach and enrollment workers who are in their offices enrolling as I write. John McDonough & Nancy Turnbull, two of the smartest, savviest policy makers, graciously agreed to my blogging them. Here are my impressions.
As I carefully placed a paper cup full of coffee on the note-taking table, a stream of people both familiar & new passed by the pastry table and settled in for our March 7 Western Health Access Network Meeting. Nearly every chair in the circle was full with HAN members who had driven to Amherst from as far as Leominster and Great Barrington to share enrollment concerns and have a discussion about estate recovery rules (PDF).
In response to our post about our poll on the shortened window for Health Safety Net (HSN) applications, several people wrote that increasingly their clients need to submit hardship waivers and/or face bills for uncompensated medical services, even though they are likely HSN eligible.
Responding to outreach workers' concerns, we recently polled the Health Access Network to learn whether the reduced application timelines for the Health Safety Net are affecting people’s access. From what we've heard, the answer is likely yes.
At Health Care For All’s Helpline, we have heard from numerous would-be applicants who refuse to sign up for state health insurance programs because they are concerned that MassHealth may recover assets from their estate. We want to get the message out that this requirement does not apply to Commonwealth Care members.
Our recent email about how to apply for a MassHealth premium waiver or reduction has just become especially relevant. Our colleagues at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) tell us that MassHealth is getting serious about collecting overdue premiums.
Outreach workers do the hard work of explaining policy changes to real people, so often they are among the first to hear feedback about how they are working. Not surprisingly, this was a theme of the Western Mass. Health Access Network meeting this February, when we gathered with outreach and enrollment workers from Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties. HAN members doing enrollment agreed that there is still confusion and frustration in their communities.
During the recent round of MassHealth Training Forum meetings, we were informed that commercial fishermen who are eligible for the Fishing Partnership Health Plan are not eligible for Commonwealth Care, because they are eligible for another state-subsidized health plan. The non-profit FPHP is a fine program offering a great benefit package through Harvard Pilgrim. The premium subsidy of approximately 50% is funded by a combination of federal, state and private benefactor dollars. This is a great option for many fishermen.
Nikki Riel from the Women's Health Network in Franklin County sent me contact info for specific places at MassHealth (click the link for a printable PDF), including the Estate Recovery and Appeals units and various premium-paying programs.
December was intense... this is the 'take-away' from our Health Access Network meetings in Amherst and Boston this month. Across the board, people providing enrollment assistance in hospitals, community health centers and community organizations were faced with a huge number of people trying to get health insurance coverage before the Dec. 31 deadline. John Bergeron from Hilltowns Community Health Center got the prize for the latest request for assistance; he received several phone messages on the evening of December 31 from people looking to comply with the mandate.
