Tomorrow is April Fool's Day! (no joke)
The exact origin of April Fool's Day is unclear - some historians trace it to France's switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, moving the start of the new year from around April 1 to January 1; others trace it to a festival celebrated in ancient Rome. Regardless of its origin, April Fool's Day is a great day to reflect on ruse versus reality. Top of mind is the claim that $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid would only touch "fraud, waste, and abuse", when the reality is that it would result in significant loss of health coverage for MassHealth members- nearly one in three state residents.
If you missed last week's webinar on the potential implications of federal policy changes to MassHealth and ConnectorCare by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA Foundation and Manatt, you can review the presentation slides and watch it here.
And if you're looking to turn April Fool's Day upside down and dispel myth in favor of truth, you can participate in The Coalition for Coverage and Care and Health Care For All's Friends & Family Campaign. Click here to learn how to get involved!
Topics for this week's Health Announce:
- Elder Basic Benefits Training: April 17
- MassHealth Budget Hearings
- MassHealth's Public Hearing on Sickle Cell: April 25
- Federal HHS Updates
- MLRI's Lifeline Survey
1. Elder Basic Benefits Training
On Thursday, April 17, 2025, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm at the MCLE conference center, MLRI is chairing a training that covers the key public benefits programs to help older adults meet their basic needs, from cash benefit programs like SSI and Social Security Insurance benefits to health care programs like MassHealth and Medicare. Faculty include experts from GBLS, SCCLS, CLA, DLC, MLRI, and the Executive Office of Aging and Independence. Register here.
2. MassHealth Budget Hearing
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means is holding its FY26 budget hearing on MassHealth (and other agencies including the Executive Office of Aging and Independence) on Monday, April 7 at 10:00 am. The hearing will take place at the Attleboro High School, and live video of the hearing will be available to watch here. These hearings can provide helpful insight into legislators' positions on MassHealth's performance and budget proposals.
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means’ general public hearing on the FY26 budget (related to all topics, including MassHealth) will be held on Tuesday, April 8 at 11:00 am. The hearing will take place at the State House, in a room to be determined. Check here for updates on the hearing’s location and video of the hearing.
3. MassHealth's Public Hearing on Sickle Cell
MassHealth is holding a virtual public hearing on Friday, April 25 at 10:00 am "to solicit and consider input from the general public about the needs of MassHealth enrollees with a diagnosis of sickle cell disease and the adequacy of available covered medications, treatments, and health care services to meet their needs." Click here to read the notice of public hearing and to learn how to attend the hearing and submit written testimony. Those who wish to testify orally at the hearing must register in advance.
4. Federal HHS Updates
Last Thursday, the Trump Administration announced a major restructuring of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as a part of the administration’s DOGE initiative to dramatically reduce the size and scope of the federal government. The changes announced include cutting 20,000 full time employees, reducing regional offices from 10 to 5, and centralizing power by reducing the number of HHS divisions from 28 to 15. Read more about these changes and the threats they pose to public health from NPR and Axios.
Meanwhile, Dr. Oz came one step closer to becoming the next administrator of The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) last week, after the Senate Finance Committee voted to recommend his confirmation to the full Senate.
And finally, Drew Snyder, the former Medicaid Director in Mississippi (a non-expansion state with consistently the worst health indicators in the nation), has been appointed Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP services, the position formerly held by Dan Tsai, Massachusetts’ former Medicaid Director.
5. MLRI's Lifeline Survey
The Lifeline program provides a $9.25 monthly discount on telephone service, internet service, or bundled voice-internet packages purchased from participating wireline or wireless providers. MLRI wants to know about any requirement that makes it difficult to use the Lifeline Program as the federal government, specifically the Federal Communications Commission, is looking for help in identifying any of their rules that they should eliminate.
MLRI wants to hear from you about any difficulties you, your clients or loved ones faced while trying to enroll and benefit from the Lifeline Program so that we can tell the federal government. Please complete this brief survey or email your thoughts and experiences to vbenzan@mlri.org.
