HCWG Meeting: December 8 @ 3pm

Health-Law-Announcements
11/30/21
Hello all, 
 
Our last Health Care Working Group meeting of the year is next Wednesday, December 8 from 3-4:30pm. 
 
Meeting agenda: 
1. MassHealth health equity Requests for Information (see email below)
2. MassHealth changes to gender-affirming coverage (tentative)
3. Fair Hearings: 
a. Recent settlement (click here for more information)
b. Updated ABCs of Requests for Judicial Review (link forthcoming)
c. Discussion of hearing issues to raise with Board of Hearings/ MassHealth 
See the notice below for information about MassHealth's two health equity RFIs, and member resources about MassHealth's recent changes to gender-affirming coverage. 

Watch your inbox for a separate calendar invite, which will also contain this zoom info:
 
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 823 5283 8587
Passcode: 123684
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Meeting ID: 823 5283 8587
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Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/ktFuW9YuC
 
 
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: MAhealthconnectorUpdates <mahealthconnectortraining@state.ma.us>
Date: Mon, Nov 29, 2021 at 5:05 PM
Subject: Updates from MassHealth: MassHealth Health Equity RFI and Member Resources for Gender-Affirming Care
To: <ksymmonds@mlri.org>
 
Assister Updates
Important News for Certified Assisters In Massachusetts 
 
November 29, 2021
 
MassHealth Health Equity Requests for Information (RFIs)
 
MassHealth wants to hear from you!
 
MassHealth is committed to working with members and other stakeholders to address health inequities and eliminate disparities in health and healthcare. To help inform its approach to understanding and addressing these issues and related efforts, MassHealth has released two Requests for Information (RFIs):
 
  1. MassHealth Member Engagement Initiatives Request for Information (RFI)(BD-22-1039-EHS01-EHS01-68839): The purpose of this RFI is to request ideas from members and other stakeholders that will help inform and strengthen MassHealth’s efforts to engage with members directly on issues related to Health Equity and more broadly.
  2. Health Equity Incentives for Certain MassHealth Hospital, Managed Care, and Related Prgrams Request for Information (RFI) (BD-22-1039-EHS01-ASHWA-68794): The purpose of this RFI is to request information about health equity and social risk factor data collection and the identification, prioritization, and reduction of health and health care disparities, and related accountability.
 
Each RFI includes particular questions that MassHealth would like stakeholders to respond to, as well as specific instructions on how to submit responses. The RFI questions may be answered by anyone who wants to provide feedback, including by members, advocates, providers, plans, or other stakeholders. Responses can be submitted by an organization or from an individual. Respondents do not have to answer all the questions and can choose which questions to respond to.
 
Responses must be submitted by December 17th, 2021.
 
To share your experiences and ideas on these issues, you can access the RFIs online at MassHealth Health Equity Requests for Information (RFIs) | Mass.gov or by logging into CommBuys at www.commbuys.com. You can use the BD or Bid number to find the RFI in the search bar.
 
Member Resources for Gender-Affirming Care 
 
Recently MassHealth updated some of its policies related to Gender-Affirming Care, including updates to the Guidelines for Medical Necessity Determination for Gender Affirming Surgery and Hair Removal.
 
In an effort to educate individuals on these updates and other available gender- affirming services, MassHealth has created new member resources (webpages) that provide information on gender-affirming care covered by MassHealth, including eligibility, covered services, related terms and concepts, and additional gender affirming care resources. To learn more, visit Gender-Affirming Care for MassHealth Members | Mass.gov.
 
Please share these resources with members, advocates, and other stakeholders.