Health Announce: Dec. 16, 2024

12/17/24

Happy Monday!

There are 15 days left in 2024.  As we approach the end of the year, many may be ready to turn the page on 2024 and never look back.  Others may like to take a moment to reflect on all that has happened this year: the good, the bad, and all in between.  Here is an expansive year in review by Britannica; National Geographic gathered the year’s most fascinating pictures; both Wikimedia and Google compiled lists of the most searched items.  If you are interested in a Health Announce Year in Review, you can find past newsletters under Announcements & Blogs on masslegalservices.org.

Topics for this week’s Health Announce:

  1. First 2025 Health Care Workgroup meeting is Wednesday, January 22.

  2. MIRA Know Your Rights Trainings!

  3. Upcoming changes to ACO members’ Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) services.

  4. Health Connector flyer clarifies DACA eligibility.

  5. KFF publishes resource to track possible upcoming changes in health care: Potential Health Policy Administrative Actions in the Second Trump Administration.

Be well,

Jennifer Hotchkiss Kaplan

Senior Health Law Attorney

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

 

First 2025 Health Care Workgroup (HCWG) meeting will be Wednesday, January 22.

The calendar invitation for next year’s HCWG meeting went out today.  Our first gathering will be Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm.  Please send along any agenda items or suggestions to me (jkaplan@mlri.org) or Kate (ksymmonds@mlri.org).

MIRA Know Your Rights Trainings!

The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) has three Know Your Rights Trainings to help ensure that immigrants know their rights in different contexts.

  • Wednesday December 11, 2024 from 12-1pm – register here

  • Thursday January 9, 2025 from 12-1pm – register here

  • Thursday January 16, 2025 from 12pm-1pm – register here

 

Upcoming changes to ACO members’ Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) services.

The Flexible Services Program (FSP) currently available to certain MassHealth Accountable Care Organization (ACO) members ends December 31, 2024.  As of January 1, 2025, assistance with health-related social needs (HRSN) for MassHealth members enrolled in ACOs will change. ACO enrollees currently getting Flexible Services should be notified by their ACOs about what services will be available from their ACO to help with housing and nutrition needs in 2025 and how to obtain access to those services.

Today (Dec. 16, 2024) MassHealth presented a webinar describing the high-level changes.  In general, it appears that the Specialized Community Support Program (CSP) has been broadened, and the former FSP, now called the Supplemental HRSN program, has been narrowed. The PowerPoint is attached.

This MassHealth website has more information on Supplemental Health-Related Social Needs services available through MassHealth ACOs in 2025. It includes five manuals with definitions and specific criteria for supplemental HRSN specific services, including rates, and a list of the supplemental housing and nutrition supports available from each ACO in 2025.  The agency is in the process of developing more member-friendly material for 2025, and we'll be taking a closer look and providing more information for members and advocates in future too. 

 

Health Connector flyer clarifies DACA eligibility.

A recent federal court ruling out of South Dakota has blocked the new regulation permitting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, aka Dreamers, to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s public marketplace.  Importantly, this injunction does not apply in Massachusetts – the court enjoined the regulation only in the 19 states that sued to challenge the regulation.

The Health Connector has published a flyer – attached to this newsletter – seeking to clarify that DACA recipients in Massachusetts continue to be eligible for health care coverage through the Health Connector – including help for paying for their coverage.  Coverage refreshers:

  • Immigrants with DACA and income of 300% FPL or less continue to be eligible for MassHealth Family Assistance (as they have been since DACA began in 2012);

  • Immigrants with DACA and income over 300% FPL continue to be eligible for the Health Connector (as they have been since November 2024);

  • In 2025, there will be no upper income limit for Advanced Premium Tax Credits, and Connector Care goes up to 500% FPL; and

  • The deadline is December 23, 2024, for coverage to start in 2025.

 

KFF publishes resource to track possible upcoming changes in health care: Potential Health Policy Administrative Actions in the Second Trump Administration.

Today, December 16, 2024, KFF published a quick guide to possible health policy changes the Trump Administration could implement using its regulatory and administrative authority, titled Potential Health Policy Administrative Actions in the Second Trump Administration. Topics covered include the ACA, Medicaid, Immigration and Health, and LGBTQ Health Policy, among others.  The resource used Trump’s campaign positions, statements, as well as first term actions to compile the list of possible activity, and may be updated as new information arises.