#MA HEALTH CONNECTOR ORG SERIES#

The burden is especially high for immigrants and communities of color who don’t speak English, or who lack easy access to technology. If for some reason they don’t receive their renewal notice, or don’t respond fast enough, they could lose health coverage altogether. It’s part of a sweeping effort across Massachusetts to help low-income families and individuals maintain access to health care during a turbulent time for MassHealth.ĭuring the COVID health emergency, federal rules allowed Medicaid recipients in Massachusetts and other states to keep their benefits indefinitely, even if their income increased.

This work of guiding people through the sometimes tedious task of obtaining health coverage is critical right now. Outreach worker Carrie Perez leaves information about MassHealth renewal at a home in Revere. After about 15 minutes, they renewed the patient's insurance under MassHealth. An interpreter, Maria Cruz, translated into Portuguese. 'Has any information changed in regards to your tax filing status?' Tanner asked the woman.

#MA HEALTH CONNECTOR ORG SERIES#

Tanner asked a series of questions about her family, her income and her immigration status, typing her answers on his laptop. On the line was a 29-year-old woman from Leominster who needed help renewing her insurance from MassHealth, the state Medicaid program. At the community health center in downtown Lowell, patient navigator Abbas Tanner made a phone call - one of dozens that he and his colleagues would make that day.

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