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.
Awards may be renewed for up to three years and will cover post-enrollment activities.
MassHealth responds to questions and notes compiled by advocates during site visits to MECs.
Tools from MLRI can help translate some knowledge of a person’s immigration status into eligibility.
A one-page chart clearly outlines who can receive which benefits and under what circumstances.
Massachusetts residents with questions about medications or difficulty paying for them can get help.
"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.
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.
MLRI offers a daylong workshop about state benefits and how to secure them.
An overview of major parts of the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Law.
