Health Announce: Dec. 23, 2024

12/23/24

Seasonal Salutations!

When my children were young and still talkative, we would play a game around the dinner table called “Roses, Buds, and Thorns.”  This conversation game got us to practice gratitude (the Rose), share our day’s challenges (the Thorn), and find one thing that brought us hope and that we could cultivate (the Bud).

As we depart 2024 and head into 2025, I’ve been reflecting on this year and that game.  My biggest Rose has been joining the amazing Health Law team here at MLRI; I feel enormously privileged to do this important work alongside such talented advocates within MLRI and its partner organizations. The Thorn -- and it's a big one -- is one I share with many: what’s coming from the incoming Congress and administration in 2025 and the accompanying apprehension and stress.  But there are Buds to be found. Here in Massachusetts, we have the opportunity to implement creative solutions at the state level to protect and preserve access to care, hopefully providing a blueprint for other states to act.  The strength and competency of our advocacy community means we have a powerful coalition with experience and depth to carry us through the upcoming challenges. In 2025, I plan to keep in mind that, even on days where I struggle to find any roses, there will be buds to nurture in hope that they grow into future roses.

This is the last Health Announce for 2024; look for our first one for 2025 early in the week of January 6, 2025. Topics for this week’s Health Announce:

  1. MLRI’s Health Care Access Program scheduled for February 4, 2025.

  2. Winter 2025 MTF virtual meeting schedule announced.

  3. Brandeis Heller School for Social Policy and Management releases Community Living Equity Dashboard.

  4. Medicaid Defense resource published by NHeLP.

Be well,

Jennifer Hotchkiss Kaplan

Senior Health Law Attorney

 

MLRI’s Health Care Access Program scheduled for February 4, 2025.

On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, MLRI is chairing a training, offered through MCLE, on MassHealth and other subsidized health programs available to individuals under 65 years old residing in Massachusetts.  The program covers eligibility to application and enrollment and features faculty from Boston’s Public Health Commission, Health Law Advocates, Health Care for All, GBLS, and MLRI. Register here. Note, under “Pricing,” that lower fees are available for legal services attorneys and nonlawyer advocates. 

Winter 2025 MTF virtual meeting schedule announced.

The Massachusetts Health Care Training Forum (MTF) has posted its upcoming meetings for the start of 2025.

Brandeis Heller School for Social Policy and Management releases Community Living Equity Dashboard.

The Community Living Policy Center at the Heller School released the Community Living Equity Dashboard, providing data estimates at both a federal and individual state level on who needs long-term services and supports (LTSS).  The tool allows you to filter the data at the state level by sex, race/ethnicity, and age. The three dashboards available are:

  • Who Needs LTSS?

  • Who Receives Medicaid LTSS?

  • Disparities in LTSS 

Medicaid Defense resource published by NHeLP.

The National Health Law Program (NHeLP) has published Medicaid Defense – Resources and Analysis, with explainers on potential threats to Medicaid and the impacts of these threats. The resource provides factsheets and explainers, as well as analysis, to support those in the fight to protect access to care. The NHeLP website also provides a resource library containing issue briefs, guides, and other materials searchable by state and issue areas, as well as by resource types running from reports to webinars.