BOSTON For more than 2.4 million Massachusetts residents, the federally mandated redetermination process, income testing and other eligibility requirements to qualify for state-subsidized health insurance , started with the receipt of a blue envelope since April.
Inside are key questions that determine whether they are eligible for state-subsidized health insurance coverage, also known as Medicaid. There are also phone numbers and links to organizations that can help residents complete paperwork.
The review process, suspended for more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has so far found that more than 76,000 residents on the rolls no longer qualify for the subsidy. And the review process is only half complete and expected to be completed in April.
State officials anticipated some residents would lose coverage
We knew and anticipated that people would lose coverage, said Amy Rosenthal, executive director of Health Care For All, a local consumer health advocacy organization that aims to ensure coverage for all residents.
To ensure as many Bay State residents as possible have health insurance coverage, three organizations MassHealth, Health Connector and Health Care For All are collaborating on a statewide campaign to make the process easier , alongside 30 community and faith-based organizations.
The groups sent field workers to knock on more than 421,000 doors in 15 municipalities with the largest number of MassHealth members. They organized nearly 1,400 awareness events and activities. They speak nine different languages, including Haitian and Cape Verdean Creole, Arabic, Chinese and Vietnamese; with Spanish and Portuguese.
Canvassers live in the neighborhoods where they work and speak the neighborhood languages, Rosenthal said. Because ultimately, she said, the goal is to insure as many people as possible, to achieve universal coverage in the state.
State objective: universal health coverage
We want everyone in Massachusetts to have coverage, said Mahaniah Kiame, the state’s deputy health secretary. It is difficult to live in America, feel safe, and live your life without health insurance.
If a resident fails to qualify for the direct subsidy, they are linked to the Health Connector. This website offers low-cost commercial insurance coverage and can also help determine if an applicant qualifies for free or low-cost coverage like MassHealth, ConnectorCare plans, or a tax credit.
Massachusetts officials took a few minutes on Monday to pause the redetermination process and applaud those working to keep Bay State residents enrolled in health care coverage.
The redetermination may sound like a bureaucratic exercise, but it is a deeply personal process, said Michael Levine, MassHealth deputy secretary. One in three Massachusetts residents is eligible for MassHealth; we are determined to keep them on their plan, or to find an alternative.
He promised that the state would not return to business as usual, that the pre-pandemic letter mailed out announcing that someone’s eligibility was under review and good luck with that.
We call, email and text, Levine said, adding that the state is committed to finding someone in the community who speaks the same language as the applicant to guide them through the process.
Open enrollment coincides with 14-month redetermination process
Open registration began earlier this month and coincides with the year-long redetermination process.
Once the redetermination process is complete, Levine calculated that MassHealth would lose between 300,000 and 400,000 residents from the state’s rolls. He said the good news is that most will have been redirected to the Health Connector and will have been able to find comprehensive commercial plans, or gain access to health insurance through their own or their spouse’s employer.
Changes have been made for applicants seeking coverage and subsidy through Health Connector, said Audrey Morse Gasteier, the agency’s executive director. She noted that the income limits to qualify for lower-cost insurance assistance were increased recently, with a single applicant qualifying with an income of up to $73,000 and a family of four with a limit of up to $150,000.
Applicants can save thousands of dollars in annual costs and gain access to branded business insurance, Morse Gasteier said.
Dr. Atyia Martin, executive director of Boston-based Next Leadership Development, said her agency’s goal is to help its community connect to MassHealth.
It’s difficult to be in survival mode and then have to pay attention to health care coverage issues, Martin said.
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