Western HAN members are currently waiting—for national health care reform to take shape, for the impact of state budget cuts to become clear, and for confirmation that the CeltiCare Bridge program provider network is broad enough here to begin enrolling eligible legal immigrants on December 1.
Beneficiaries won’t lose benefits.
As proposals for national health care reform were taking over the front pages, HAN outreach workers were dealing with the impact of budget cuts to our Massachusetts program made necessary by the recession. Our traditional fall guest, Health Care For All Research Director Brian Rosman, gave both our Amherst and Boston meetings additional background on this issue along with a broader view of how health care reform in Massachusetts is faring in these challenging times.
This week, automatic enrollments will begin in the Boston area for "Commonwealth Care Bridge," the new program for legal immigrants whose Commonwealth Care coverage was ended on August 31, 2009 because of the changes in state law.
Yesterday, Governor Patrick announced that CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts has been selected to offer coverage to 31,000 people identified as "Aliens With Special Status" who today lost their Commonwealth Care coverage.
A simplified guide to health coverage options for the unemployed is available from BMC HealthNet.
A special election period allows people laid off from small businesses access to the federal COBRA subsidy, beginning July 2, 2009.
Approximately 31,000 Commonwealth Care members who are legal immigrants could lose their Commonwealth Care coverage as of August 1, 2009. A helpful tip sheet and checklist from the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI) can help you figure out who may still be eligible.
Our most recent Boston HAN meeting was all about Commonwealth Care. We talked with Melissa Boudreault and Niki Conte about gaps, plans, and premiums. We also talked about the state budget's impact—and a new report on CommCare networks.
MassHealth has updated their Provider Manual with explanations of the eligibility codes for NewMMIS.
