Community Partners blogs

October 2 Western HAN meeting notes

Anne — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:45:48 +0000

Outreach workers are concerned about how continuing financial pressures are going to affect familiar programs and shape new ones, but they’re also still full of energy and ideas about how to reach the ever-growing number of people who need their help. The evolution of a national health care reform plan is also a subject of great interest and lots of feeling.

September HAN meetings: what's happening with health reform?

Community Partners - Amherst — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:53:37 +0000

As proposals for national health care reform were taking over the front pages, HAN outreach workers were dealing with the impact of budget cuts to our Massachusetts program made necessary by the recession. Our traditional fall guest, Health Care For All Research Director Brian Rosman, gave both our Amherst and Boston meetings additional background on this issue along with a broader view of how health care reform in Massachusetts is faring in these challenging times.

Boston Community Updates - September 24 Health Access Network meeting

Anne Rosen - Community Partners - Amherst — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:47:13 +0000

Please also see our complete September HAN meeting notes. In this section of the agenda, HAN members discussed CommCare Bridge, MassHealth dental services, the end of Commonwealth Care auto-enrollment, and community resources.

Western Community Updates - September 11 Health Access Network meeting

Anne Rosen - Community Partners - Amherst — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:21:18 +0000

Please also see our complete September HAN meeting notes. In this section of the agenda, HAN members discussed the transition to CommCare Bridge, MassHealth's email noticing, Medicare News, and community resources.

Can MassHealth Limited and HSN cover the gap for immigrant clients?

Community Partners - Amherst — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:41:12 +0000

People who lost their Commonwealth Care coverage on September 1 because they are deemed Aliens With Special Status (AWSS) will be enrolled into a new CeltiCare plan over the next few months. In the meantime, they have access to either MassHealth Limited + the Health Safety Net, or the Health Safety Net (HSN) alone.

July 30 Boston HAN meeting: More on immigrants and health programs

Laura Anderson - Community Partners - Amherst — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:24:19 +0000

Since the legislature decided to end Commonwealth Care eligibility for some legal immigrants as of September 1, HAN members have been fielding lots of calls from concerned and confused immigrant clients.

June 5 Western HAN: Immigrants and health programs

Laura Anderson - Community Partners - Amherst — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:01:58 +0000

Our special guest was Toby Guevin, State Policy Director for the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition. We discussed the categories that determine immigrants’ eligibility for health benefits; gaps and barriers to coverage; and what policy changes the future could bring.

Student health plans: it's time for change

Aaron Marden - Student Health Organizing Coalition — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:33:46 +0000

When the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted health care reform, lawmakers neglected a large segment of the population: students, like me. Currently, almost every university-offered plan fails to meet the Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) standards, the same standards that every health insurance plan in Massachusetts must meet.

May 28 Boston HAN meeting: all about Commonwealth Care

Community Partners - Amherst — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:36:31 +0000

Our most recent Boston HAN meeting was all about Commonwealth Care. We talked with Melissa Boudreault and Niki Conte about gaps, plans, and premiums. We also talked about the state budget's impact—and a new report on CommCare networks.

Additional May 28 Boston HAN meeting notes

Community Partners - Amherst — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:20:41 +0000

The following is the second part of our May 28 Boston HAN meeting notes. It includes the Report on Network Standards in Commonwealth Care and Policy Updates from Health Care For All.