Action Alert: September 1 Comment Deadline on Ending Non-emergency transportation in CarePlus & Provisional Income Eligibility for Adults in MassHealth and the HSN

MassHealth filed a proposal to end provisional income eligibility for adults in MassHealth and the Health Safety Net (except adults who are pregnant, HIV+ or in treatment for breast or cervical cancer) with a target date of October 2017.  This will delay enrollment for adults whose income is not verified at the time of application. Ending provisional income eligibility could result in 140,000 adults --75% of whom are eligible for MassHealth--having their coverage delayed for months while MassHealth processes their paperwork. With current telephone wait times of over 30 minutes and MassHealth sometimes taking months to process paperwork, these delays could seriously impair access to health care. MassHealth also proposes to end non-emergency medical transporation for CarePlus members for all travel except travel to substance use disorder services. This will affect about 13,000 CarePlus members who now get transportation assistance getting to medical care. 

8-24-17 Update: Despite objections from stakeholders, on June 26 MassHealth submitted its proposed amendment to CMS to end Provisional Income Eligibility in MassHealth and HSN for most adults and to end non-emergency medical transportation for CarePlus members for all travel except travel to substance use disorder services. Attached are the comments MLRI and other legal services programs submitted to EOHHS on June 12, and to CMS on August 24, 2017 objecting to the proposed changes. 

What's next? CMS will review the comments it received and take action on the state's requested amendment.

Comments to CMS can be submitted on line at the website below until 11 pm August 24, 2017. UPDATE: Due to technical difficulties with its website, CMS has extended the comment period to Sept 1, 2017