Dec 9, 2022 Health Update

1.      MassHealth Listening Session on Dec 12 regarding approval of PCA hours

Important Notices & News

On Monday, December 12 at 10:00am, MassHealth will be hosting a Public Listening Session to ask for feedback about an upcoming change in the MassHealth PCA program. Specifically, MassHealth will be modifying how it approves PCA hours to create more flexibility for Consumers.  This change will not affect the number of hours PCA Consumers receive – it will only give Consumers more control and flexibility when scheduling their PCAs to work. 

We invite you to join this listening session and broadly share the meeting information with those interested in attending.  Like previous Public Listening Sessions, the session on 12/12 at 10:00am is voluntary, and PCAs will not be paid for attending.

Meeting information:

• Date: Monday, December 12, 2022
• Time: 10:00am
• Link: https://zoom.us/j/98018996049?pwd=bzNEemNXTC91cFhJbERueTZpak0wZz09
• Passcode:  326027
• Webinar ID: 980 1899 6049
• Phone: +1 312 626 6799  or +1 646 876 9923  or +1 646 931 3860  or +1 301 715 8592  or +1 305 224 1968  or +1 309 205 3325  or +1 360 209 5623  or +1 386 347 5053  or +1 408 638 0968  or +1 507 473 4847  or +1 564 217 2000  or +1 669 444 9171  or +1 669 900 6833  or +1 689 278 1000  or +1 719 359 4580  or +1 253 205 0468  or +1 253 215 8782  or +1 346 248 7799
• One Tap Mobile: +13126266799,,98018996049#,,,,*326027#  or +16468769923,,98018996049#,,,,*326027#

2. Expansion of  the CommonHealth Program in 2023

·        The most recent approval of the MassHeatlh 1115 Waiver (Oct 1, 2022-Dec 31, 2027) authorized changes that will make it possible for more people with disabilities to qualify for CommonHealth

o   MassHealth expects to have system changes ready by the end of December to enable adults with disabilities age 19-64, with income too high for Standard, to qualify for CommonHealth on a sliding scale premium basis with  no one-time spenddown or work requirement and no asset test or upper income ceiling This is how CommonHealth has always worked for young people under 19; soon it will work the same way for adults under 65. If the system rollout goes well, it  may be available by Jan 1, 2023

o   The recent Waiver also approved a CommonHealth “retirement benefit” that will enable people 65 and older who under current rules can qualify for CommonHealth only while working at least 40 hours per month, to retire from work and keep CommonHealth. It will apply to people who have been on CommonHealth for at least 10 years and should be available before July 1 2023.

o   The only written description of these changes so far are the 1115 documents posted here.

3. Expansion of Medicare Savings Program -more Medicare eligible people will qualify for help paying Medicare Part B Premiums in 2023

The FY 2023 Budget included a further expansion of the upper income limits for the MassHealth programs that pay the Medicare Part B premium for Medicare beneficiaries –

The income limits for the program that pays for Medicare Part B premiums and also Part A premiums (if any) and related cost sharing is going up from the current 130% of the poverty level to 190% of the poverty level;

The two programs that pay for just Medicare Part B premiums will go up from 165% of poverty to 225% of poverty. 

The agency has not yet announced the effective date of the expansion, but we expect it to be Jan. 1, 2023. More information from Mass. Senior Action Council who championed this & the earlier 2020 expansion here. 

 Have a good weekend everyone.