Highlights

• Unemployment Extended Benefits
• New Public Charge Rules in Effect
• Low Income Families May Qualify for Clothing Allowance
• Voting Rights
• Non-Filers Tool Extended to Get $500 per Child Sooner
• New Compassionate Allowances Diagnoses
• Common Benefits Misconceptions
• BPL to Open for Computer Use, Other Sites Add Outdoor WiFi
• MassHealth Verbal Approval to Share Info
• Census- Resources at Risk

Sections

• Program Highlights
• Health Care Coverage
• Policy & Social Issues

Questions, comments about the newsletter? Contact Ellen Forman, 617-726-5807.

Massachusetts Says Extra $300 a Week in Jobless Benefits Will be Paid Soon

Certain recipients of Massachusetts unemployment benefits will get a temporary boost of $300 a week “in coming weeks,” the Baker administration  has announced.

The state’s announcement follows approval by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of Baker’s application for money to cover three weeks of enhanced checks.

The state Department of Unemployment Assistance said those eligible for jobless pay for the weeks ended Aug. 1, Aug. 9, and Aug. 15 will see the money after the agency makes necessary adjustments to its computer system. The state will automatically add the bonus to checks for most recipients.

President Trump recently ordered FEMA to distribute up to $44 billion to states after Congress failed to extend a program that had provided $600 a week in extra jobless benefits under the CARES Act, the big pandemic rescue legislation that was enacted on March 27. Trump bypassed lawmakers by allocating FEMA disaster relief money.
Trump’s order initially called for a $400-a-week bonus, including $100 funded by the states. Terms were revised after cash-strapped states complained they couldn’t afford the extra payments. Massachusetts, which had the highest jobless rate in the country last month, has been forced to borrow more than $1 billion from the US Treasury to pay traditional state benefits. Average weekly claims in June were $425.

More than 28 million people received the $600 payment during the week it ran out at the end of July, and it was perhaps the most important piece of the social safety net amid record unemployment caused by the pandemic.

At least 29 states have been approved to get the FEMA funds for three weeks, including New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It’s not clear whether there will be enough money to cover additional weeks.

Who’s eligible?

Workers collecting regular state unemployment benefits are eligible for the extra money.

Those getting aid through the following programs are also eligible:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation
• Extended Benefits
• Short-Time Compensation
• Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees
• Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service members
• Trade Readjustment Allowances
• Self-Employment Assistance

Who’s left out?

There’s a big caveat to this list, though.

Workers must get at least $100 a week in unemployment benefits to be eligible for the additional jobless aid.

- See the full Boston Globe article.

Additional sources/for more information

• Waiting on that extra $400 unemployment benefit here's what we know - CNBC
• Trumps $300 unemployment benefit may take more than a month to arrive - CNBC

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ unemployment rate has triggered federal Extended Benefits (EB). This is a federal extension of 7 weeks for all Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claimants, and up to 13 weeks for certain eligible regular unemployment (UI) claimants.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is extended for an additional 7 weeks for all claimants. PUA now has a maximum duration of 46 weeks instead of 39 weeks.
PUA claimants do not need to do anything to receive the additional 7 weeks. Claimants will receive a notice through the PUA system that their benefits have been extended.

Eligible claimants will be presented with an application for Extended Benefits (EB) through their UI Online account.
To be eligible for EB, UI claimants must have:

• Exhausted all rights to regular UI (Unemployment Insurance) under Massachusetts law
• No rights to regular UI with respect to any UI law of another state or Canada
• Exhausted Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
• Wages in the base period (with respect to the regular UI claim that was exhausted) that includes 1 of the following:
1. 20 weeks of full-time covered employment
2. Wages higher than 40 times your most recent weekly benefit amount or
3. Total wages in the base period equal to or greater than 1.5 times the highest quarter
• No disqualifications that would prevent you from being eligible for EB and
• Exhausted their regular benefit claim on or after May 9, 2020.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How will I know if I am eligible for Extended Benefits? 

Eligible UI claimants who meet the criteria will receive notice in their UI Online account informing them that they can apply for EB. PUA claimants are automatically eligible.

Eligible PUA claimants will receive an additional 7 weeks of benefits. Eligible UI claimants may receive 13 additional weeks of benefits.

If you are a PUA claimant, your benefit rate will not change.
If you are a UI claimant, your EB benefits will be recalculated, and may result in a different weekly benefit rate.

- Source and for more information: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/unemployment-extended-benefits-eb

New Public Charge Rules Again In Effect for Most of the Country

We reported last month that a judge had issued an injunction that had blocked the new public charge rules nationwide during the public health emergency (Public Charge Changes Blocked Nationwide During the Pandemic, MGH Community News, July 2020).  A subsequent court decision however restricted that injunction to New York, Vermont and Connecticut. This unfortunately means that the new public charge rule is currently in effect in Massachusetts.

Public charge for many years has only counted cash assistance and Medicaid for long-term care. The new rules, that became effective in February 2020, added these new benefits to the public charge test: SNAP, federal public housing and section 8, Medicaid (except for emergency services- MassHealth Limited in MA  and Medicaid for  children under 21 years, pregnant people and for 60 days post-partum.)

It is more important than ever to remind the community that:

1. Most immigrants are not subject to public charge. 
For the most part, only immigrants applying for a green card are subject to public charge test. They should contact an immigration service provider to navigate the new USCIS forms. 

• Exempt immigrants include: refugees; asylees; survivors of trafficking, domestic violence, or other serious crimes (T or U visa applicants/holders); VAWA self-petitioners; special immigrant juveniles; and certain people paroled into the U.S. Benefits received when people are in one of these statuses will not be counted against them.
• Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are only subject to a public charge test if they leave the country for more than six months; they are not subject to a public charge test when applying for citizenship; they are not subject to a public charge test to renew a green card. (Note: green cards need to be renewed, but one does not lose that status by failing to renew one’s card.)

2. Benefits received for U.S. Citizen children does not count.
Even if an immigrant is subject to the public charge test, SNAP, Medicaid and other benefits received by their eligible children will not be considered. It is always safe to get benefits for your U.S. citizen child, who may qualify for much more than an immigrant parent will.  And most adults and children who already have “green cards” are also not subject to the public charge test.

3. Most immigrants should keep your benefits. 
Most immigrants who might be subject to the public charge test do not qualify for the federal benefits like SNAP that count for the rule. And most immigrants who qualify for the benefits that count for the rule are not subject to public charge.

You can find more information about public charge and a list of organizations that provide free immigration services in MA here.

 - Adapted from email statement from Patricia Baker, MLRI, 8/14/20.

Families Just Over-Income for TAFDC May Qualify for Clothing Allowance and Additional Benefits if they Apply in September

For the month of September, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) increases the income eligibility limits and payment standards for the TAFDC program. This increase in the payment standard is known as the children's clothing allowance, and occurs only for September.

This means that many low-income working families that normally are income-ineligible for TAFDC benefits will become eligible for the clothing allowance. Although these families will not receive cash benefits, they may be able to receive subsidized child care in addition to the clothing allowance.

Families participating in the TAFDC program will receive an additional $350 per eligible child.

INELIGIBILE children include children who are:

• Age 19 and older;
• Receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI); and/or
• Undocumented immigrants.
  

How Are Benefits Paid?
Families already enrolled in TAFDC automatically will receive the clothing allowance payment for each eligible child. For September applicants, DTA will provide the full $350/child clothing allowance, even if the family applies after September 1st or only is eligible for part of the month. (The benefit will NOT be prorated as it was in years past.)

Impact on SNAP Benefits
The clothing allowance benefit is NOT considered income under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules.
For More Information:

• September Clothing Allowance (September 2019, MA Law Reform Institute)
• Also see this flyer (Fall 2019, MA Law Reform Institute)

Voting by mail is available to all voters for all elections in 2020. You do not need an excuse to vote by mail this year.
To vote by mail, all you need to do is:

• Complete a Vote by Mail Application;
• Deliver your application to your local election office;
• Vote when your ballot arrives;
• Return your ballot.

Applications for a vote-by-mail ballot must reach your local election office by October 28 for the November election.
Ballots

• State Primary ballots need to be back at your local election office by 8 p.m. on September 1.
• State Election ballots need to be postmarked no later than November 3 and must be back at your local election office no later than November 6.

Apply early, in order to have enough time to return your ballot.
Local Drop-Boxes: Massachusetts communities have set up close to 200 drop boxes for voters to submit their vote-by-mail applications and ballots, Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin said recently. Galvin’s office, citing growing demand for places to drop off ballots in person and said the tally will be updated as more communities add drop boxes ahead of the Sept. 1 state primary. The option gives residents a chance to directly submit their applications and ballots without relying on their local post office. The full list is available on the state website.

For more information on voting by mail, see Voting by Mail FAQs.

Social Service Department staff can find additional voting rights information on the staff access area of our website.

- See the full Mass Live story

The Internal Revenue Service announced in mid-August that it will reopen the registration period for federal beneficiaries who didn't receive $500 per child payments earlier this year.

The IRS urges certain federal benefit recipients to use the IRS.gov Non-Filers tool starting August 15 through September 30 to enter information on their qualifying children to receive the supplemental $500 payments.

Those eligible to provide this information include people with qualifying children who receive Social Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement benefits and Veterans Affairs Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefits and did not file a tax return in 2018 or 2019.

The IRS anticipates the catch-up payments, equal to $500 per eligible child, will be issued by mid-October.

Those who already entered information in the IRS’ Non-Filer Tool before and even after the IRS’ previously announced deadlines (April 22 if you receive Social Security; May 5 if you receive SSI), do not need to do anything. The IRS will automatically make a payment in October based on the information you provided them.

Please read the IRS’ August 14 press release for more details.

Outreach materials
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has created a customizable EIP Non-Filer Toolkit – FAQs available in English and Spanish: FAQ (English| Español)

This and additional customizable outreach materials available at: https://www.cbpp.org/stimulus-payments-outreach-research

Though most Americans have already received their Economic Impact Payments, the IRS reminds people with little or no income and who are not required to file tax returns that they remain eligible to receive an Economic Impact Payment.

People in this group should also use the Non-Filers' tool – but they need to act by October 15 to receive their payment this year.
Anyone who misses the October 15 deadline will need to wait until next year and claim it as a credit on their 2020 federal income tax return.

Available in both English and Spanish, the Non-Filers tool is designed for people with incomes typically below $24,400 for married couples, and $12,200 for singles. This includes couples and individuals who are experiencing homelessness. People can qualify, even if they don't work or have no earned income. But low- and moderate-income workers and working families eligible to receive special tax benefits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit, cannot use this tool. They will need to file a regular return by using IRS Free File or by another method.

The IRS is actively working to resolve cases where a portion or all of an individual's payment was taken and applied to their spouse's past-due child support. People in this situation do not need to take any action. The IRS will automatically issue the portion of the EIP that was applied to the other spouse's debt.

- See the full SSA Blog post

Social Security uses the Compassionate Allowances program to help us identify and fast-track cases where people have medical conditions and diseases that are most likely to meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits.
In August, we added five conditions — Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors, GM1 Gangliosidosis – Infantile and Juvenile Forms, Nicolaides-Baraister Syndrome, Rubinstein-Tybai Syndrome, and Secondary Adenocarcinoma of the Brain — to this essential list.  Additions to the list allow us to ensure that anyone with qualifying disabilities can receive the benefits they need quickly.

The Compassionate Allowances program quickly identifies claims where the applicant’s condition or disease clearly meets our statutory standard for disability.  Due to the severe nature of many of these conditions, these claims are often allowed based on medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone. Over the last decade, the list has grown to a total of 242 conditions.

When a person applies for disability benefits, we must obtain medical records in order to make an accurate determination.  Our Health IT brings the speed and efficiency of electronic medical records to the disability determination process.  With electronic records transmission, we are able to quickly obtain a claimant’s medical information, review it, and make a determination faster than ever before.

-See the full SSA blog post

Ed. note: Compassionate Allowances fast track the disability determination process of SSI/SSDI applications, which is most often the cause of significant delays. Compassionate Allowance, however, do not eliminate the SSDI 5-month waiting period or override other eligibility criteria.

With complex eligibility criteria that vary between public benefit programs, it can be challenging to keep program rules straight. Here are some reminders to help you best advocate for your patients and families.

Please keep in mind that public benefit programs typically have multiple eligibility factors that might include categorical (age, disability status, being a parent, etc.), financial, residence and immigration status, etc. If one is eligible based on one eligibility factor, one typically still needs to meet other criteria to qualify. We use the phrase “if otherwise eligible” as a reminder.

Pregnant Individuals

For certain programs, being a parent may be a categorical eligibility factor. If you don’t have children, being pregnant may qualify.

• Emergency Assistance (EA- family shelter) – pregnant individuals qualify at any stage of pregnancy if otherwise eligible.
• TAFDC – if otherwise eligible:
• pregnant adults are eligible in the last 120 days of pregnancy
• pregnant teens (under 18) are eligible at any stage of pregnancy if they meet school attendance requirements
• MassHealth if otherwise eligible:
• pregnant individuals may qualify at a higher income level (200% FPL) than other groups such as seniors or other adults.
• pregnant individuals with any immigration status, including undocumented with income at or below 200% FPL can get MassHealth Standard during their pregnancy, and prenatal care for up to 60 days after the end of the pregnancy (coverage actually continues to the end of the month in which the 60 days ended).

Programs Available Regardless of Immigration Status

Please seek consultation for questions related to immigrant benefits eligibility. Here are some general guidelines.

The following programs are available to those otherwise eligible regardless of immigration status (not a complete list).

• RAFT and ERMA homelessness prevention programs
• State-funded housing subsidies (public housing, MRVP, AHVP, multifamily housing)
• Food programs: WIC, school lunch and breakfast (and P-EBT if renewed for the school year), most food pantries
• Elder Services
• Mass Rehabilitation Commission’s Home Care Assistance Program (homemaker service for adults under age 60 with disabilities) homecare program
• MassHealth Limited, Health Safety Net, Children’s Medical Security Plan, Prescription Advantage
• Head start

EAEDC and immigration status- while those without legal immigration status are NOT eligible for EAEDC, it does have less restrictive immigration status requirements than TAFDC, including no 5 year bar.  But note it also has very low income/asset limits and benefits.

Emergency Assistance (EA family shelter) – only requires one person in the household to have a legal immigration status, if otherwise eligible.

Advocacy tip: programs such as TAFDC and MassHealth standard have “5 year bars” – Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs or “green card holders”) are not eligible for the first 5 years that they have that status. BUT LPRs who adjusted status and originally held one of certain special statuses including asylees or refugees may not be subject to the 5 year bar. ASK – did you have another legal status before you got your green card? Always seek consultation for immigration status issues.

Eviction and Utilities Shut-Off Moratoriums Do Not Erase Debt

The Commonwealth’s COVID-19 moratoriums on evictions and utility shut-offs do not eliminate one’s debt. When the protections end consumers will be subject to eviction/shut-off. We strongly encourage tenants/consumers to contact their landlord, mortgage holder and utility to seek assistance early. Inquire about any forbearance programs, payment plans or Utility Arrearage Management programs.

Massachusetts had the highest unemployment in the nation in June. The extra $600 in unemployment pay expired at the end of July.
Meanwhile, with the pandemic in its sixth month, are lenders and legislation still providing the kind of leeway offered at the beginning of the crisis to those facing financial turmoil?

Q. What should I do about credit card bills?
A. If you can’t make your minimum payment you need to contact your credit card company and tell them. Missing a payment will damage your credit and trigger a late fee as high as $39. It could also prompt a higher interest rate on your unpaid balance. If you have lost your job due to the pandemic, tell them. Doing nothing can only hurt you.

Q. What can I expect from credit card companies?
A. Most credit card companies offer some kind of debt relief, such as waived fees or deferred payments. But they are under no obligation to grant your request. You must advocate for yourself. Being a longtime customer may help; having good credit and a record of staying within your credit limit may help, too. Explain that your financial distress is due to the pandemic, and that it will eventually end and you’ll be back to work.

Q. How helpful are credit card companies today, compared to the beginning of the pandemic?
A. When I tested my credit card company by asking for forbearance in April, the rep on the phone instantly said yes. Last week, a rep transferred me to a special department before another rep said I could defer my next payment for a month without penalty. Credit card debt needs to be managed carefully because it is so expensive. The average interest rate on credit cards nationally is slightly more than 16 percent, with some nudging 30 percent. If you are saddled with a big balance due, consider moving to another credit card company, which may offer a lower introductory rate. Websites like Credit Karma may help you sort through the data.

Q. What about my auto loan?
A. Same as above: if you can’t pay, contact your lender. Tell them you need help. Your lender has the option of repossessing your car, but it’s probably at the bottom of their list of things to do. Ask for forbearance. If that doesn’t work, offer partial payment. Tell them you want to remain their customer and that you will make up the past due amount as soon as possible.

Q. What about student debt?
A. The CARES Act signed into law March 27 includes administrative forbearance on federal student loans. That means borrowers are automatically allowed to temporarily stop making monthly loan payments. Unlike with credit cards and auto loans, no approval is required. You don’t have to do anything.

Q. How long does it last?
A. Currently, suspension of payments will last until at least Sept. 30.

Q. Does this apply to all student loans?
A. No, only those federally backed, including direct loans, Perkins Loans, and Federal Family Education Loans owned by the US Department of Education. A loan you may have taken from a commercial lender to help pay for college is not covered. You should contact that lender if you anticipate missing payments.

Q. Am I in danger of having my utilities cut off for nonpayment?
A. Eversource and National Grid, two of the largest energy suppliers in Massachusetts, say they won’t shut off service for nonpayment during the crisis and will not charge late fees. Both utilities also offer payment programs for those who are struggling to pay their bills.

Ed. note: this article does not reference the state’s COVID-19 utility shut-off moratorium.

• The moratorium on utility shut-offs has been extended to November 15, 2020. Please note that the standard winter moratorium on heat-related shut-offs begins that day. Customers who are on record as having financial hardship (participation on Fuel Assistance/LIHEAP or on discount rate or file a financial hardship form with their utility) should be protected from heat-related utility shut-off until at least March 15, 2021.
• Shut-off protection does NOT erase one’s debt. Customers who make no payments during this extended moratorium period will have very large arrearages by the spring of 2021. It may be very difficult for advocates to help clients in those situations avoid termination.  Advise clients to apply for their utility’s Arrearage Management Program (AMP).

Q. What about my Wi-Fi bill?
A. Some Internet suppliers, including Comcast and Verizon, last spring promised not to disconnect Internet service or charge late fees for customers who said they could not pay their bills, but that promise expired July 1. Both say they will work with customers struggling with finances to maintain service.

Q. What’s the bottom line?
A. Avoid going into a defensive crouch. Be proactive. Get familiar with the options your creditors may offer by checking their website. Then, make that call.

- Source and for more information, including mortgage protections see the full Boston Globe article.

Boston Public Library in Copley Square Will Allow People Inside to Use Computers and Boost Outdoor Wi-Fi at Others

Library officials and Mayor Martin J. Walsh said recently that the Central Library in Copley Square will open back up for public computer access. Patrons can reserve a computer in two-hour blocks, or walk in, four days a week between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

The library will also extend its Wi-Fi services to cover parks, parking lots, and other public areas outside of nine branches - Mattapan, Codman Square, Parker Hill, Hyde Park, Grove Hall, Egleston Square, East Boston, Honan-Allston, and the South End. Those locations were chosen based on the rate of broadband access, household income, and nearby public space.

While some suburban libraries have reopened for in-person service, this will be the first time since March that Boston Public Library has allowed people inside to use its facilities.

For computer use, capacity is limited to 10 people at a time and only at the Central Library for now. Masks will be required and the computer room will be cleaned between every two-hour block of time.

-See the full Boston Globe article.

State education officials have announced that families can form small remote-learning co-ops, after-school programs can operate during typical school hours, and churches and community centers can host students who might otherwise be unsupervised when out of school this fall.

The move was made in recognition of the challenges that working parents will face in many districts where schools are expected to hold virtual classes at least part of the week.
Licensed child-care providers will automatically be allowed to serve older children during the school day, in addition to before, after, and out-of-school time.

The state is also expediting licensing so that child-care providers can tap additional space to expand capacity to serve older children. Some day-care centers, for instance, aim to open kindergarten rooms to accommodate the siblings of younger children already in their care.

A larger change will be making spots available for students to be supervised during their remote learning time. “Remote learning enrichment programs” will accept children on a regular or drop-in basis to supervise children from kindergarten to 14 years old, or up to 16 with special needs.

Organizations that want to provide such a space must apply to the local city or town for approval, beginning Monday. The municipality will be responsible for overseeing safety, conducting background checks of staff, and maintaining COVID-appropriate group sizes and health protocols. Group sizes will be limited to the state’s limits on crowds: 25 people indoors and 50 outdoors.

Learning pods, or groups convened by up to five families, will be able to operate without licenses, as long as a parent is on-site at all times. Payments are not allowed, and exchanges of funds are limited to compensation for food and materials.

Governor Charlie Baker on Friday made the changes by executive order.

- See the full Boston Globe article.

OK, parents, whether we like it or not we’re about to begin a school year like no other. And for many of us, that means our living rooms are now classrooms.

It won’t be easy, especially for low-income families who might not have reliable Internet access, much less the ability to purchase a computer for every child. But even the most affluent will face massive challanges mastering not only the technology of remote learning but also the right teaching techniques and even the proper management of each child’s time — the stuff we usually leave to the teachers.

Begin with a decent-quality computer —ideally one per child. Your best bet is a laptop with a built-in camera and microphone for video conferencing. It doesn’t have to be state-of-the-art. You can even buy used. But it should be no more than three or four years old.

If you’re running a Windows machine, get Windows 10, because Microsoft no longer provides security upgrades for the older Windows 7 operating system. Apple’s Mac machines are a somewhat more expensive option, or you can go for a Chromebook. Low-end versions can be had for as little as $200, and they’re more than adequate for most students.

But don’t buy anything without contacting your local school system. Some are handing out computers to students who lack them, at no cost.

In Boston, the school system will loan a new Chromebook to every student, including those who already have computers.

In addition, Roxbury Community College says it will provide a loaner laptop to each part-time student on request, while a new full-time enrollee will be given a machine they can keep after completing a degree or certificate program.

If the schools won’t come through with a computer, you have other options.

Tech Goes Home, a nonprofit that serves Boston, Cambridge, Lynn, and other communities in Greater Boston, offers 15 hours of introductory computer training. Anyone who completes the course is eligible to buy a new Chromebook for just $50. The national organization PCs for People sells refurbished Windows computers to low-income families for as little as $75.

A computer is nearly useless without an Internet connection, yet thousands of low-income families remain unplugged. Boston has already handed out 2,600 Internet hot-spot devices to low-income households and is working to provide still more. These hot spots connect to 4G cellphone networks, which deliver sluggish but adequate connection speeds, at least for a single user.

Still a hot spot is a bandaid. It’s better to get a basic cable broadband package with much faster connection speeds.

Verizon, for instance,has a low-income broadband plan that charges $19.95 a month for a 200-megabit connection. Rival Comcast offers 25 megabits per second for $10 a month, with the first two months free. Comcast also lets eligible families buy a refurbished Windows 10 computer for $150.

Racine is working with these companies to get more homes connected and said the Boston city government’s Digital Equity Fund will pick up the monthly tab for some households.

Make sure there’s a strong Wi-Fi signal in the home classroom. If need be, spring for a new router. A good one runs about $80.

- See the full Boston Globe column

Boston has seen a surge in violence in recent weeks. “Every act of violence certainly causes waves of lasting trauma throughout a community,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said during a press conference on July 7. “Every loss of life is heartbreaking for every single victim and for their families. And when you see, or you hear, a 15-year-old boy lose his life, it hits home even harder how senseless these acts of violence and these impacts truly are.” Following each act of violence, city and police officials have urged members of the community who were impacted by the events to call the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team, repeatedly giving out the number at press conferences and on social media: 617-431-0125.

Both Walsh and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross stressed the trauma team is a key part of the city’s strategy for addressing and preventing further cycles of violence.

Here’s what you should know about the Neighborhood Trauma Team, which responds to violence in Boston through the lens of public health.

The Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team network, funded and managed through the Boston Public Health Commission, was formed in 2017 as part of an effort by Walsh’s administration to create a larger, strategic framework for addressing violence in the city through intervention, prevention, and response.

There are six individual neighborhood-based teams in the network: Bowdoin Geneva/Greater Four Corners, East Boston, Grove Hall, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, and Roxbury.

Each team has its own trauma responders — members of the neighborhood community who have received training in psychological first aid from the city and receive a stipend. When an act of violence occurs, the network is notified, typically by police or Boston EMS, and a trauma responder goes to the scene. In some cases, because the trauma responder is based in and involved in the neighborhood, they may be contacted by a member of the community about the incident before the authorities loop them in.

At the core of each neighborhood team are three partners: a community health center, a community-based organization, and a liaison from the citywide Boston trauma response team — a group of clinicians that staff the 24/7 support line being advertised by officials. Through that line, anyone who has experienced trauma can connect to support services at a community health organization working within the network.

In total, the Neighborhood Trauma Team network partners with about 19 different organizations or programs, which function as members of the network, including hospitals like Boston Medical Center and Brigham and Women’s and survivor-led organizations in the city such as the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and Mothers for Justice and Equality. The network also works alongside the police department and the city’s street worker outreach program known as SOAR.

After an act of violence occurs, a trauma responder from the neighborhood team will go to the scene to assess the situation, make initial contact with members of the community, and share that support resources are available. The team will return to the scene the next day as well to continue making connections with impacted members of the community. In the event of a homicide, they ensure the family is connected to survivor-led organizations like the Peace Institute for assistance.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the Neighborhood Trauma Team network has adjusted some of the ways it interacts with residents, using telehealth and connecting with members of the community using technology like Skype and Zoom more frequently. Out of concern for public health, in-person responses were temporarily suspended early in the pandemic shutdown, but have since resumed, according to Efrain Arias, senior program manager for the network.

Looking at the violence that occurs in Boston, Kayou said in September he doesn’t think there’s enough attention on the work communities are doing on their own.

“We’re not focused enough on how resilient the community is,” he said. “How resilient our young people are. It doesn’t mean that they have forgotten the trauma of that event. It means that they’re figuring out ways of how can we regroup and move on.”

That work is what needs to be supported, the trauma responder said.

There are so many “unsung” people doing work to support their community at the grassroots level that never get their voice heard but who deserve to be at the table when violence prevention is discussed, Kayou said.

- See the full Boston.com article.

An investigation by Suffolk University Housing Discrimination Testing Program and then referred to the Attorney General’s Office revealed widespread systemic housing discrimination against low-income tenants in the South Shore and has resulted in four real estate brokers and agents agreeing to pay up to $110,000 and attend fair housing training in settlements.

“What does this investigation tell us? Those with vouchers face high levels of discrimination while trying to find a safe place to live,” said William Berman, clinical professor of law at Suffolk University Law School. “Those participating in the real estate market have a responsibility to treat those with vouchers fairly and will be held accountable for their misdeeds if they don’t.”

Under the Massachusetts state fair housing law, housing providers cannot make statements or place advertisements that discriminate against a potential tenant based on familial status, source of income, disability and other characteristics. Housing providers are also prohibited from placing advertisements that suggest a preference for tenants without housing vouchers, without children, or without disabilities.

Healey issued a new guide KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: SOURCE OF INCOME DISCRIMINATION FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (in Spanish) to educate tenants, landlords and those in the real estate industry on their rights and obligations under state and federal fair housing laws.

- See the full Mass Live article.

It’s challenging to find apartments in the Boston area, and particularly for those who need accessible units. Apartmentguide.com may help- its offers a disability access filter. See Boston area listings that report they have accessible units at https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Massachusetts/Boston/.

In a decision issued in March, a federal court judge in a nationwide class action ruled that Medicare beneficiaries who have been denied coverage for nursing facility services after transferring from hospitals because the hospital changed their status from “in patient” to “observation status” now have a right to appeal their classification, and potentially receive reimbursement from Medicare for the uncovered nursing facility charges.

The common hospital practice of admitting patients under observation status has led to denials of coverage for subsequent nursing facility stays because Medicare only covers subsequent care in a skilled nursing facility for patients who were hospitalized as inpatients for three or more consecutive days. This important decision will allow thousands of Medicare beneficiaries who were denied coverage for nursing home stays to appeal changes in status to “observation” going back to 2009.

Justice in Aging, Center for Medicare Advocacy and the law firm Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati represented the plaintiff class.

Read more about this win

- From Medicare Patients Under “Observation Status” Win Right to Appeal, Justice in Aging, April 3, 2020.

The Medicare Savings Program (MSP), also known as the MassHealth Buy-In Program, can help older Massachusetts residents and residents living with a disability save on their Medicare coverage. The MassHealth Buy-In Program includes:

• Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, 
• Buy-In Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), and 
• Qualifying Individuals (QI) program. 

On January 1, 2020 MassHealth increased the income limits for the Medicare Savings Programs.  However, due to a computer programming error, individuals with income between 100-130% FPL who were now eligible for both payment of their Medicare Part B premium and protection from other cost-sharing in Medicare Parts A and B, only received payment of the Medicare Part B premium.  MassHealth has identified and corrected the error. The added benefit means that Medicare providers are not allowed to bill these Medicare beneficiaries for Medicare Parts A & B deductibles, copayments and co-insurance incurred after Jan 1. Here’s the MassHealth update.

On January 1, 2020, eligibility for these programs expanded. The tables below show the current income and asset limits.

Senior Buy-In Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Expansion

Buy-In Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) and Qualifying Individuals (QI) Expansion

Correcting a System Error

Due to a system error in calculating eligibility, some members who should have been approved for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program were not. The error has been corrected. As a result, members erroneously enrolled as SLMB or QI members who should have been approved for QMB will receive a notice and be upgraded as follows:

How to Apply

Use the Medicare Savings (Buy-In) Programs Application if only applying for these 3 programs and not for other MassHealth programs.

New applicants who apply through the full MassHealth application and are not eligible for a MassHealth benefit will be approved for the appropriate Buy-In benefit if they are eligible based on the current financial guidelines.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

In this case, the members' health-care provider must pay the member back for any money collected from a member erroneously enrolled as SLMB or QI for MassHealth-covered services and bill MassHealth for the service. The provider must accept the MassHealth payment as payment in full.

Provider Expenses

Both fully enrolled MassHealth providers and QMB- only providers could potentially rebill MassHealth for deductibles, coinsurance, or copays covered under QMB that may have been billed directly to members who were erroneously enrolled in SLMB.
MassHealth providers should refer to the Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries regulation at 130 CMR 519.010: MassHealth Senior Buy-In and in 130 CMR 505.007: MassHealth Senior Buy-In and Buy-In and certain MassHealth Standard members who are eligible for QMB benefits described in 130 CMR 519.002(A)(4)(c) and 130 CMR 505.002(O) for more information on billing instructions.

All other provider types should refer to their specific Provider Manual for detailed information on regulations and billing instructions at https://www.mass.gov/lists/masshealth-provider-manuals#c-.

For questions related to identifying your provider type and/or how to proceed, please email your inquiries to providersupport@mahealth.net.

More Information and Assistance

Factsheets about the MSP program and the expansion are printable and are available in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

The federal Medicare-Medicaid agency (CMS)  has more information about the cost sharing protections for QMBs  here 

Medicare beneficiaries with questions about this can contact the SHINE program or advocates at the Medicare Advocacy projects.

- From Updates from MassHealth, MA Health Care Training Forum, July 23, 2020 and Vicki Pulos, Health Update, MLRI, 6/3/20

Effective 06/29/2020, MassHealth applicants or members may complete the ARD I (Authorized Representative Designee) and PSI (Permission to Share Information) forms verbally on a recorded phone line with MassHealth Customer Service.

IMPORTANT: Both the MassHealth applicant or member and Assister or designee must be on the phone at the time of request. 

Note: 

• The ability to provide a Verbal ARD I will continue beyond the COVID-19 national emergency period.
• The ability to provide a Verbal PSI will be reviewed when the COVID-19 national emergency period ends.

Verbal requests for all ARD II or ARD III designations will not be completed over the phone. Continue to complete and submit by mail or fax requests for ARD II and ARD III.

The ARD form is available in English and Spanish.

- From Updates from MassHealth, MA Health Care Training Forum, July 23, 2020.

The Trump administration has shortened the duration of the census; the last day to participate in the U.S. 2020 Census is now September 30, formerly October 31. 

Democrats in Congress and many census advocates have become increasingly concerned that the White House is pressuring the bureau to stop counting soon in order to benefit Republicans when House seats are reapportioned and voting districts are redrawn.

What’s at stake?
Much of the funding that comes from the Census count helps the most vulnerable among us. It provides health care, education, food and nutrition programs, housing, and child care for low-income families:

• In Fiscal Year 2015, Massachusetts received $16 billion for programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, Section 8 Vouchers, Title 1 Education Grants, and Head Start.
• For every resident who is not counted in the state, $2,372 in funding is missed.

Addressing common concerns:

• There is NO citizenship question on the 2020 Census. The 2020 Census does not ask whether you or anyone in your home is a U.S. citizen.
• The 2020 Census counts everyone living in the country, including non-citizens. 
• The law prevents the Census Bureau from sharing your information with law enforcement.
• Your answers cannot be used to impact your eligibility for government benefits. 
• More at: https://2020census.gov/en/news-events/rumors.html

In addition to the mail, you can complete the census online or over the phone in 13 different languages.

Additional Language support: translated web pages and guides are also available in 59 non-English languages, including American Sign Language, as well as guides in braille and large print: https://2020census.gov/en/languages.html

Sources and for More Information

• Boston Counts 2020 https://www.boston.gov/departments/intergovernmental-relations/boston-counts-2020 and
• NPR https://www.npr.org/2020/08/03/898548910/census-cut-short-a-month-rushes-to-finish-all-counting-efforts-by-sept-30

NOTE: Massachusetts’ eviction moratorium is still in place. It is currently set to expire October 17, 2020. This article references the FEDERAL eviction moratorium.

After negotiations for another stimulus package hit a dead end in Washington recently, President Donald Trump signed executive orders to extend relief in the meantime. One order, according to the president, would extend the federal eviction moratorium. 
The original moratorium, included in the CARES Act, prohibited landlords or housing authorities from filing eviction actions, charging nonpayment fees or penalties or giving notice to vacate. It expired on July 24 and only applied to federally subsidized or federally backed housing.

But housing advocates are pushing back, saying Trump’s executive order to extend an eviction moratorium actually does nothing at all—and keeps struggling Americans at risk of losing their housing. 

Trump’s order doesn’t actually extend the federal eviction moratorium. Instead, it calls on the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to “consider” whether an additional eviction ban is needed.

Additionally, the executive order does not provide any new money to help struggling renters during the pandemic. Instead, it says the secretary of Treasury and the secretary of Housing and Urban Development—Steven Mnuchin and Ben Carson, respectively—can identify “any and all available federal funds” to provide temporary rental assistance to renters and homeowners who are facing financial hardships caused by COVID-19. 

At the time of publishing, officials mentioned in Trump’s executive order have not released guidelines on extending the federal eviction moratorium.

- See the full Forbes article.

Within the next two years, it will become much easier for an estimated 150,000 low-income children in Massachusetts to eat breakfast in school.

Gov. Charlie Baker this month signed a bill dubbed “Breakfast After the Bell,” which will require high poverty schools to offer breakfast after the start of the school day.

“We have too many students that arrive at school hungry,” said Rep. Alice Peisch, a Wellesley Democrat and House Chair of the Education Committee. “If you’re not having breakfast available after the bell for those students, they go through until lunch time without food, and that obviously interferes with their ability to fully participate in the academic side of school.”

The federal government reimburses schools for providing low-income students with free or reduced-price meals. But although around 300,000 students in low-income schools are eligible for subsidized breakfast – and Massachusetts requires schools to offer it – fewer than half those students actually get breakfast. In contrast, a similar lunch program has 80 to 90 percent participation rates.

According to the anti-hunger group Project Bread, Massachusetts ranks 33rd nationally in participation in school breakfast.

Bill supporters say the reason for the low participation rate is that school breakfast is often offered in the cafeteria before school starts. There may be stigma to eating breakfast in school and students can have trouble showing up early, whether because of bus schedules or unreliable transportation.

The new law, which will go into effect for the school year beginning in 2022, will require all public K-12 schools where 60 percent or more students are eligible for free or reduced price meals to offer breakfast after the start of the school day. There are about 600 schools that fit this criteria, and Catherine Drennan, communications director for the Greater Boston Food Bank, said between 300 and 400 of them already offer some form of breakfast after the start of the school day.

The schools could offer any one of several options – breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go options, or “second-chance” breakfast, where breakfast is offered during a break between classes.

The meal costs should be fully covered by the federal government. A program lets high-poverty schools obtain “community eligibility,” which means the federal government reimburses the district for all meals served, not only those to poor students. The 60 percent poverty threshold is meant to ensure that any district covered by the state mandate is eligible to be fully reimbursed.

In the bill’s final version, implementation was pushed off to 2022 – earlier versions had started it in 2021 – to give schools time to get through the pandemic-related upheaval.

- See the full Commonwealth Magazine article.

A data note by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) shows possible trouble ahead for people with Medicare who rely on the US Postal Service (USPS) to deliver their prescription medications. Recent changes at the USPS have begun to slow delivery of many types of mail, and these delays threaten prescription drug access. Across the nation, there are reports of people going without their medications, which could have dire consequences for those with chronic or severe illnesses.

According to KFF, 17% of people with Medicare who used their Part D prescription drug coverage in 2018—around 7.3 million people—had at least one medication delivered via USPS. These numbers were up sharply in the first half of 2020, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, millions of beneficiaries currently rely on mail or pharmacies for timely delivery of their medications.

Consumers choose mail-order pharmacies for a host of reasons, including cost, access, safety, and convenience. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs makes widespread use of mail-order pharmacies. Some Medicare plans encourage the use of mail-order pharmacies by offering large savings for using that option. This could leave people with those plans in a bind if they must switch to a retail pharmacy.

Retail pharmacies may also not be an option for people with limited mobility, transportation issues, and specialized or compounded drug needs. In addition, many people with Medicare fall into higher-risk categories for significant COVID-19 repercussions and may feel unsafe picking up their prescriptions in person.

Read more about the risk to Medicare beneficiaries’ access to mail-order drugs.
Read more about the delays at the USPS.
Read more about how USPS delays are impacting access to medications.

- See the full Medicare Rights Center story