Commonwealth Care, Other Subsidized Coverage

November 7 Western HAN: Digging deeper

Blog - November 20, 2008 - 12:49pm - Laura Anderson - Community Partners - Amherst

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.

EOHHS expands outreach and enrollment grants

News - Submitted by Meg at CP on November 17, 2008 - 5:59pm.

Awards may be renewed for up to three years and will cover post-enrollment activities.

FAQ document gives tips on MassHealth enrollment processes

News - Submitted by Emma at CP on September 9, 2008 - 1:07pm.

MassHealth responds to questions and notes compiled by advocates during site visits to MECs.

Help with figuring out benefit eligibility for immigrants

News - Submitted by Laura at CP on August 21, 2008 - 2:30pm.

Tools from MLRI can help translate some knowledge of a person’s immigration status into eligibility.

Chart summarizes Health Safety Net Retro and Secondary coverages

News - Submitted by Laura at CP on July 23, 2008 - 9:33am.

A one-page chart clearly outlines who can receive which benefits and under what circumstances.

MassMedline still provides free prescription assistance

News - Submitted by Laura at CP on July 9, 2008 - 5:11pm.

Massachusetts residents with questions about medications or difficulty paying for them can get help.

What "outreach & enrollment" actually looks like...

Blog - July 7, 2008 - 12:48pm - Brian Eno - Healthy Connections - Orange

"Outreach & enrollment" means much more than putting up posters and helping people fill out MassHealth applications. Recently, over the course of a two hour appointment, my supervisor and I counseled one household on eleven different public health insurance, subsidy and care programs. We helped them file four separate applications to five different insurance programs, putting together a patchwork of care options to cover the hole left by the loss of employer-sponsored insurance.

Heating bills and health care

Blog - May 7, 2008 - 10:55am - Meg Kroeplin - Community Partners - Amherst

This winter, about 100,000 households in the Commonwealth were protected from losing their heat, electricity and other utilities by the state utility shut-off protection laws, which prevents shut-off for households whose circumstances meet certain conditions. This protection ended on May 1, and people have begun getting shut-off notices. These notices are bad news, but CAN be used to request a MassHealth premium waiver or Commonwealth Care premium waiver.

Upcoming training on health coverage programs

News - Submitted by Meg at CP on March 12, 2008 - 11:00am.

MLRI offers a daylong workshop about state benefits and how to secure them.

Is health care reform a net loss for fishermen?

Blog - February 12, 2008 - 5:19pm - Priscilla Jackett - Outer Cape Health Svcs - Provincetown

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.