Avoiding a rough summer for MassHealth

Also: The bit of brain tissue that's critical to out-of-body experiences [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  July 11, 2023 Hi CommonHealth reader, By now you may have heard about [the blue envelopes]( going out to thousands of Massachusetts residents each week, asking them to [prove their eligibility]( for public health benefits. It’s part of an overhaul of the state Medicaid program, MassHealth, prompted by the end of a pandemic-era rule that allowed people across the country to keep their Medicaid benefits indefinitely. It will take a year to determine eligibility for all 2.4 million people who rely on MassHealth, and the process is likely to be disruptive. So, the state has launched a sprawling $11 million effort to inform people about the new rules and help them stay insured. If someone no longer qualifies for MassHealth because their income increased, they may be able to enroll in a subsidized plan on the state insurance marketplace, called the [Health Connector](. Or they may be able to get coverage from their employer. But the big fear is that people could lose health insurance altogether if they don’t respond to MassHealth’s requests for information — a risk especially for those who don’t speak English or who lack easy access to technology. The statewide outreach campaign ranges from TV ads and webinars to face-to-face work. Health center enrollment specialists are meeting with individual patients and signing them up for coverage. Outreach workers are knocking on doors in 15 communities, sharing information in[nine different languages](. Maria Gonzalez, who helped launch the outreach work at Health Care For All, an advocacy group working with the state, said the message is essentially this: people with MassHealth coverage need to update their contact information with the state, watch for important mail and respond right away. More than[70% of people removed]( from Medicaid plans in other states were unenrolled because of procedural reasons, such as failing to return forms, according to the health policy nonprofit KFF. State officials and advocates in Massachusetts say this underscores the need for extensive outreach. If people on MassHealth don’t take action, Gonzalez told me, "there’s a chance they may lose coverage, and that’s what nobody wants." Not only would this hamper people's access to care, it would be a setback for a state that has developed a[reputation as a health care leader](. In 2006, Massachusetts adopted a landmark law that expanded access to health coverage and required that everyone be insured. This became a blueprint for the federal Affordable Care Act. State administrations, both Republican and Democratic, have since made health coverage a priority. About 97% of Massachusetts residents have health insurance — a source of bragging rights for public health officials and advocates. Now, that progress could be at risk. "Universal coverage is our north star," Mike Levine, assistant secretary for MassHealth, told me. We’ll have a better sense of what’s happening in Massachusetts as state officials start to release [more data](. Until then, you can read and listen to my[recent story here](. And stay tuned for more coverage. 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