Health Announce: Aug. 25, 2025

Topics for this week’s Health Announce:

1. ConnectorCare Plan Type 1 ending in January 2026 – New MLRI Fact Sheet!
2. Talking points to help address concerns impacted individuals might have about the CMS-ICE data sharing agreement.
3. New estimates for increases in uninsured rate due to the 2025 Reconciliation Law.
4. CMS acts to verify citizenship and immigration status for Medicaid members.
5. Long Term Care Act of 2024 task force reports released.
6. Reminder – No Health Care Working Groups this month.

Happy Birthday, National Park Service!

Today, August 25, is the 109th birthday of the National Park Service (NPS). Created in 1916, NPS works to “conserve the scenery, natural and historic objects, and wild life … and to provide for the enjoyment of the scenery, natural and historic objects, and wild life in such as manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” 54 USC § 100101. Massachusetts has 16 National Parks that host about 7.8 million visitors each year. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend that culturally marks the end of summer, visit a National Park near you!

Be well,

Health Law Unit
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

1. ConnectorCare Plan Type 1 ending in January 2026 – New MLRI Fact Sheet!

The Health Connector announced the elimination of ConnectorCare Plan Type 1 in January 2026. For over ten years, this plan has provided affordable coverage to lawfully present immigrants with incomes of 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or less who were not eligible for Medicaid due to their immigration status. Currently 34,000 people are enrolled in Plan Type 1.

MLRI has prepared a fact sheet, CC Plan Type 1 Fact Sheet, to assist advocates in finding coverage options for at least some of the people losing ConnectorCare in 2026. The end of Plan Type 1 is one of the first of the coverage losses caused by the Reconciliation Law, the GOP's tax and spending megabill that was signed into law on July 4, 2025. Advocates, providers, and policy makers must work together to come up with better solutions for this and future coverage losses expected later in 2026 and 2027.

Current Health Connector members will be receiving preliminary eligibility determination notices about 2026 this month and next. The Health Connector is offering an online webinar on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, for current members about the notices. Members can register here for Preliminary Eligibility: What does it mean and what do you need to do?

2. Talking points to help address concerns impacted individuals might have about the CMS-ICE data sharing agreement.

As shared in the July 22, 2025 Health Announce, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) entered into an agreement to share personal Medicaid data with the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Several states, including Massachusetts, sued to block the data sharing. And on August 12, 2025, a federal district court granted in part a preliminary injunction barring DHS from using the data for immigration purposes and barring CMS from sharing more data.

Understandably, members of communities targeted by ICE remain concerned. Both Health Care for All (HCFA) and the Health Connector have developed talking points to share with members to help clarify the CMS-ICE data sharing agreement and where things stand. The HCFA Talking Points, attached below, also include guidance for individuals working with impacted individuals. (If you would like the HCFA Talking Points in Portuguese, French, Haitian Creole, or Spanish, let us know – jkaplan@mlri.org or ksymmonds@mlri.org.)

The Health Connector Talking Points:

• The Health Connector has not heard reports that any data about Health Connector eligibility or enrollment information for Health Connector members could be shared with ICE.
• The Health Connector maintains a shared eligibility system with MassHealth, the state Medicaid program for Massachusetts. The Health Connector has heard reports that Medicaid data may be shared with ICE. Although we maintain a shared eligibility system, the data in question does not come from that shared eligibility system. Instead, it comes from a separate data and reporting source that MassHealth is federally required to provide to CMS.
• The data source that is part of the data sharing agreement only includes individuals who are or were eligible for MassHealth in the last several years, so if an individual has applied for Health Connector coverage through the shared eligibility system, but was denied MassHealth coverage, their data would not be included.
• Anyone who has received Health Connector coverage and has also received an eligibility for MassHealth Limited would likely be included in the data that could be shared under the agreement.
• Anyone who is currently enrolled in a Health Connector plan but has a family member who is enrolled in MassHealth could have their family member's information in the data that could be shared, and therefore, likely some of their own information (i.e., address). However, this information will only be specific to the person who is enrolled in MassHealth, not other household members.

3. New estimates for increases in uninsured rate due to the 2025 Reconciliation Law.

KFF has released a report allocating the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates of increased uninsured people across each US state: How Will the 2025 Reconciliation Law Affect the Uninsured Rate in Each State? According to its estimates, Massachusetts can expect to see a 2% increase in uninsured – roughly 180,000 residents will lose coverage they now enjoy. Approximately 57,000 people will lose access to health insurance because of changes in the GOP bill restricting access to Health Connector plans and the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits (EPTC).

On top of the expected expiration of EPTC, many Massachusetts residents will see premium rate increases for their Health Connector plans. Insurers are blaming a worsened risk pool caused by the Reconciliation Law kicking healthy people off insurance, as well as rising health care costs (including prescription drug prices), increased care utilization) to inflation and tariffs.

4. CMS acts to verify citizenship and immigration status for Medicaid members.

On August 19, 2025, CMS announced a new initiative it said was aimed at enforcing non-citizen eligibility rules. Specifically, CMS will be sending to states monthly enrollment reports listing individuals whose citizenship or immigration status could not be confirmed through federal databases. States are expected to take appropriate action to gather appropriate documentation, adjust coverage, or disenroll where appropriate.

Advocates asked MassHealth whether Massachusetts was included in the first batch of states to receive the reports, and officials responded that they have not received any communications from CMS on this matter.

5. Long Term Care Act of 2024 task force reports released.

The Long Term Care Act of 2024, G.L. Ch. 197, established a number of commissions and task forces. The final reports from two have been released:

• Transitions from Acute Care to Post-Acute Care (TACPAC) Task Force: The TACPAC Report
• Special Commission on Continuing Care Retirement (CCRC) Communities: The CCRC Report

The Viability and Sustainability of Long-term Care Facilities Task Force also submitted its final report to the Legislature on July 31, 2025. However, the report was not published publicly. Dignity Alliance Massachusetts has posted a copy of the final report power point, along with analysis and selected excerpts of the other Chapter 197 reports.

6. Reminder – No Health Care Working Groups this month.

The HCWG is on vacation for the month of August. See you next month: Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at 3 pm.