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MGH Community News |
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MGH Community News |
| September 2021 | Volume 25 • Issue 9 |
Highlights
Sections Social Service staff may direct resource questions to the Community Resource Center, Hannah Perry, 617-726-8182. Questions, comments about the newsletter? Contact Ellen Forman, 617-726-5807. |
City of Boston and Other Local Eviction Moratoria (Somerville, Cambridge, Malden) The Boston Public Health Commission issued a new public health order on August 31, 2021 establishing a moratorium on evictions in the city of Boston. This order went into effect immediately protects city of Boston resident who have been ordered to leave your home for reasons other than criminal activity. If the Housing Court has ordered you to leave, you may not have to. For more information, call 617.635.4200, email OHSintake@boston.gov, or use this form to request legal assistance. If you’re able to, you should pay your rent. If you need help paying your past and future rent, apply for rental assistance today. Applying for rental assistance may “stop the clock” on the eviction process if you’ve received a Notice to Quit. More on Boston.gov. Other communities that have local eviction moratoria include Somerville, Cambridge, and Malden. At this writing, Somerville’s protection is in place through November 30. More information. The Cambridge moratorium “remains in effect until further notice”. Malden’s order applies to evictions due to nonpayment of rent and to no-cause evictions. Evictions deemed necessary for public health or safety are permitted under the executive order, and renters are still obligated to continue to pay their rent. Any changes to the status of the City's eviction moratorium will be posted on the city website.
All RAFT, ERAP and ERMA Applications Must Now Be Submitted Through Centralized Portal The new Emergency Housing Payment Assistance application has been centralized; applications for RAFT, ERAP and ERMA are now submitted through a centralized portal available in multiple languages. |
Applications are being processed centrally and then sent out to the Regional Administering Agencies (RAAs) such as Metro Housing Boston. Troubleshooting, unfortunately, will require investigating if the application has made it to the RAA or is still at the central processing unit level. RAA contact information:
Fuel Assistance Applications Accepted Starting October 1 This Year Winter is around the corner and it’s time to prepare for safe and affordable heating! This year, starting, October 1, 2021,, families can submit new applications for fuel assistance (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP) and utility bill discounts through their local Massachusetts Community Action Agency (Rhode Island CAPs list). Utility Discounts Once utility customers are approved for fuel assistance, they will be eligible for a low-income discount (LID) on future gas and electric bills. Advocates can request that the discount be applied retroactively to past-bills; unfortunately utility customers cannot request the retroactive LID themselves; an advocate or representative must call the utility company’s customer service line on their behalf to make this request. Retroactive discounts are also at the utility company’s discretion – they are not a legal right. - See the full MLPB digital digest. - From Care should account for people's legal rights, risks, and remedies, Samantha Morton, MLPB, September 30, 2021.
Baker Signs COVID Paid Leave Program Extension A day before the state's COVID-19 emergency paid sick leave program was set to expire, Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday approved an extension of the program until April 1. The program was first authorized under a law passed in May with the intention of giving workers time to quarantine, recover, get vaccinated, or help a family member dealing with the coronavirus. It was set to expire Sept. 30. The May law created a new $75 million emergency COVID-19 sick leave program offering workers up to one week of paid leave, capped at $850. Senate President Karen Spilka said Monday that just over $2 million had been used of the $75 million pool. The new law reallocates up to $500,000 from the emergency leave fund for a public awareness campaign to promote awareness of the program, and directs the Executive Office of Administration and Finance to develop the campaign. - See the full WBUR story.
Deadline for Child Tax Credit for this Calendar Year is October 15 Those who don’t typically file taxes who have not yet signed up for the Child Tax Credit have until October 15 to either file a 2020 Tax Return or sign-up by using the online IRS Non Filer Form. Those who do not sign up by October 15 will need to wait until 2022 to apply. The FindYourFunds.org website, a collaboration between Greater Boston Legal Services, MA Association for Community Action, the Shah Family Foundation, Mass. Law Reform Institute and Children’s HealthWatch, provides helpful information and instructions. See the FAQs and outreach materials (flyers, social media) in multiple languages. Of note, DTA is also sending text messages about FindYourFunds and the Child Tax Credit starting this week to the entire SNAP caseload (also in 6 languages) For more information: FindYourFunds.org
SSI and Pandemic Benefits – New Rules Exempt Benefits, But May Require Case-by-Case Advocacy Social Security Administration policy guidance released in July differs significantly from previous guidance and is good news for recipients, but may require case-by-case advocacy. Under the new guidance pandemic-related financial assistance should no longer be counted for SSI eligibility and determining benefit amounts. Previously SSA had been counting many types of assistance as income and resources (assets) for SSI purposes, resulting in individuals being denied SSI or having their SSI benefits reduced or suspended. Under the current guidance, Economic Impact Payments (“stimulus payments”), Unemployment Assistance, COVID-19 funeral assistance, Emergency Rental Assistance Funds, Paycheck Protection Program loan forgiveness and a list of other pandemic-related funds should NOT count as income or resources for SSI applicants and recipients, indefinitely (without a time limit). SSA is now reviewing SSI applications, redeterminations, appeals and other records back to March 2020 to restore SSI payments if appropriate. In most case individuals will not need to take action. However, for those who were discouraged from applying, or who never received services and may have moved for example, SSA may not have their contact information. Individuals also may have to show or attest that bank balances above the $2,000 resource limit (or $3,000 for an eligible couple) is due to one or more of the excluded payments. Those who may have had their SSI cut-off should appeal- and the new guidance as “good cause” for a late appeal (the deadline is otherwise 30 days). Please advise clients to watch their mail and respond to any SSA requests for additional information and to save documentation of receipt of any pandemic-related funds. Applicants/recipients can be proactive call their SSA local office. Additional advocacy tip: the SSA Program Operations Manual System (POMS) specifies an Operating Assumption “Always assume, when withdrawals are made from an account with commingled funds in it, that nonexcluded funds are withdrawn first, leaving as much of the excluded funds in the account as possible.” In other words- remaining funds should be considered excluded funds up to the maximum received. POMS SI01130.700- identify excluded funds commingled with excluded funds.- See the full NCLER Practice Tip
COVID Isolation & Recovery Site Reopens and then Relocates – Now in Everett Earlier this month, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) in partnership with Commonwealth Care Alliance (CCA) stood up a new, 19-bed Isolation and Recovery site (I&Rs) located in Boston. At this time, the current I&R site is unable to meet Statewide demand and additional I&R capacity is needed. As of September 28th, 2021, the Isolation & Recovery site has been relocated to a new site in Everett that is able to provide 60 I&R beds for eligible individuals who are COVID-positive and in need of a safe place to isolate. CCA will continue to serve as the overseeing entity for I&R and provide transportation, food services, as well as clinical and behavioral health support to individuals admitted to the new site. Please find information regarding eligibility and how to make a referral below: Clinical Eligibility: Individuals with a positive COVID-19 test result that are able to safely isolate without intensive medical supervision. This site is NOT available for individuals who:
Financial Eligibility:
Referring Entities and Contact Line: Referring entities and organizations, such as homeless shelter providers may contact the intake line below to ensure eligibility, register the individual for the program, and get the individual placed and transported to an Isolation & Recovery site:
Intake Line: 617-367-5150 For any questions, concerns or issues accessing the State’s I&R site, please contact Josh Cuddy (josh.cuddy@mass.gov) at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. - From: IR Notice 9/28/21, The Executive Office of Health & Human Services
Helping Refugees from Afghanistan Resettling in Massachusetts- Benefits Eligibility Roughly 1,000 Afghan evacuees are going to be rehoused in Massachusetts communities, according to Maxine Stein, president and CEO of the Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts (JFSWM), although the specific date is yet to be confirmed.
Gov. Charlie Baker issued a public statement on Aug. 17, at the height of the crisis in Afghanistan that Massachusetts is ready to assist Afghan refugees seeking safety and peace in America, but little has been revealed on the state’s plan for the intake. So far no money has been promised to aid the work the charities are doing to rehouse the refugees and Baker’s office has not laid out any guarantee of support. JFSWM and other organizations that are working to welcome the evacuees are worried about the care when they do eventually arrive and Stein told MassLive that there is so much more to do. “These very traumatized people who deserve the utmost welcome from the United States,” Stein stated. Afghan refugees were and continue to be hurriedly evacuated and provided quick entry through what’s known as humanitarian parole. A humanitarian parole, according to the immigration laws of the U.S., generally refers to those with official permission to enter and remain temporarily in the country, under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, without formal admission and while remaining an applicant for admission. “The way it now sits is they are not currently eligible for the majority of programs that we all have in place for refugee resettlement,” Stein said. JFSWM and other organizations are lobbying state lawmakers to get Afghans to the status where they would be eligible for all services for up to five years. In an effort to assist refugees from Afghanistan resettling in Massachusetts, please review the documents created by the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. Newly Arriving Afghans Health Coverage (9-21) helps explain the immigration statuses of Humanitarian Parolees, Refugees and Lawful Permanent Residents with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) and SIV Parolees and describes the documents they may have for status verification. It also describes the coverage types that may be available to these individuals and families after they apply. MassHealth and the Health Connector will also be creating additional resources in the coming weeks. Please familiarize yourselves with this information to help ensure these individuals can access the richest level of benefits available to them. - From Helping Refugees from Afghanistan resettling in Massachusetts, Massachusetts Health Care Training Forum, September 24, 2021 and Nearly 1,000 Afghan refugees are set to arrive in Massachusetts - are we ready? - masslive.com
Veterans Discharged Under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ May be Eligible for Full V.A. Benefits Veterans who were discharged from the military under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy may be eligible for full benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs under new guidance issued on this month. The announcement comes on the 10th anniversary of the policy’s repeal by President Barack Obama. In a blog post on the V.A.’s website, Kayla Williams, the assistant secretary for public affairs in the V.A.’s Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, said that veterans who were given other than honorable discharges based on homosexual conduct, gender identity or H.I.V. status “are considered veterans” who may be eligible for all V.A. benefits. The “other than honorable” discharge blocked tens of thousands of veterans from obtaining the full range of services and care. Those affected by the policy may now qualify for benefits including guaranteed home loans, compensation and pension, health care, housing assistance and burial benefits, barring any statutory or regulatory issue with their military record. “Don’t ask, don’t tell” was a policy enacted in 1994, under President Bill Clinton, that barred openly gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals from serving in the military. The V.A. reported that the policy led to the discharge of an estimated 14,000 service members during the 17 years it was in effect. - See the full New York Times article.
Free Workshop to Help Families Complete Rent/Mortgage Assistance Applications On Saturday, October 16th, Metro Housing, in partnership with the Greater Boston Real Estate Board, will be hosting a free workshop to help families complete the new central application for rental or mortgage assistance. This is a great opportunity to help your clients who may be struggling to pay their rent due to the pandemic. We ask that you share this information with families and individuals that could benefit from this assistance. Registration is required. There will be Spanish speaking volunteers on hand. For detailed information on the event, go to https://www.gbreb.com/gbar/financialassistance Below are flyers for the event in both English and Spanish. Click on either one to access a printable versions for distribution. - From Rental Assistance Application Workshop/October 16, Metro Housing|Boston, September 29, 2021.
Pro Bono PT, OT and Speech Therapy Clinics – IMPACT Center The Impact Practice Center offers free care to adults and children in Charlestown and the Greater Boston Community. Physical therapy, Occupational therapy Speech therapy, and nursing services to help with managing chronic illnesses, wellness coaching and counseling for grief, anxiety, depression and substance use are provided by students of the MGH Institute of Health Professions under the supervision of faculty and clinical instructors. See the Impact Practice Center flyer and the OT specific flyer. - Thanks to Kristen Risley for sharing these resources.
Families Overcharged for Subsidized Child Care May be Able to Reapply, Child Care for Homeless Families and Child Care Subsidies Flyers Sara Levy, Senior Attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services, reviewed some lesser-known child care facts at a recent SNAP coalition meeting. She reported on a recent GBLS court victory. GBLS argued that MA charges parents more money than any other state for subsidized child care and that families couldn’t keep up. They shared examples of families who got behind on their child care fees, lost child care and subsequently lost their jobs and became homeless. The court agreed that the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care’s subsidized child-care fee schedule was too expensive. Fees have been reduced and some barriers to accessing subsidized child-care have been removed. For example under previous rules families with outstanding subsidized child-care debt could not access subsidized child care again until that debt was resolved. At this time EEC is not outreaching to families who were previously impacted- so help spread the word! Levy also reminded attendees about some lesser-known childcare tips:
Learn more and share these flyers with families:
CMS Translates Medicare & You Handbook into Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean This month the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the 2022 Medicare & You Handbook will be available in Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean, in addition to English and Spanish. Medicare & You is a critical resource to help Medicare enrollees and those assisting them make decisions about their coverage. Earlier this year, Justice in Aging led 100 organizations in asking CMS to translate Medicare & You into languages beyond English and Spanish to meet the needs of the more than 4 million Medicare enrollees who have limited English proficiency. The new Chinese version of Medicare & You is now available on Medicare.gov, along with Spanish, large print, audio book, and braille versions. The Vietnamese and Korean versions are expected to be posted online in early October. A limited number of printed copies will be available for order. - From DC: Medicare and You Translation, Budget Reconciliation and More, Justice in Aging, September 10, 2021.
New Social Security Website for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood The Social Security Administration (SSA) is mailing a notice to more than 337,900 Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients between the ages of 14 and17 (transition-aged youth) and their adult representatives to help them identify policies and other resources to assist youth in their transition to adulthood. These mailings include a notice introducing the SSA annual informational publication, What You Need To Know About Your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) When You Turn 18 (Publication No. 05-11005). SSA encourages caregivers to review it with the child, if possible. This publication helps youth prepare for the transition from school to adult life. It provides information about SSI work incentives primarily affecting youth, as well as information about common programs, services, and supports that parents, guardians, and youth may find helpful. Specific programs covered include:
You can download the publication from the agency’s publication website in both English and Spanish. Also, we have created a new website for youth to assist them with making a successful transition to adulthood. Please help us promote these valuable resources through your networks, especially foster care and youth transition programs. - From An Important Notice Regarding Transition-Aged Youth!, Social Security Administration, Office of Communications, August 31, 2021. - Thanks to Michael Padulsky for sharing this information.
MGH Cancer Center PACT Website is Now Available in Spanish The MGH Cancer Center PACT (Parenting at a Challenging Time) website is now available in Spanish and English. There is a drop-down box at top right to choose the Spanish site. Please share this information widely as a useful resource to families coping with cancer. See the PACT site: https://www.mghpact.org - Thanks to Mary Susan Convery for sharing this update.
21 Mass. RMV Offices Bring Back In-Person License, Registration Transactions A number of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) offices will now offer more in-person service options that earlier were halted due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Twenty-one registry offices throughout the state will resume in-person license and registration transactions, as well as in-person bulk transactions for car dealers and insurance agencies. Here are the offices welcoming back in-person services, according to the RMV:
Registrar Colleen Ogilvie said that residents who want to visit a registry office should consider booking an appointment first, but that offices will once again try to help those who enter without appointments. - See the full WBUR story.
MassHealth Expands Covered Care for Transgender and Non-Binary Residents It just got easier and more affordable for some trans and non-binary residents to get gender-affirming healthcare in Massachusetts, thanks to changes by MassHealth. Effective September 1, MassHealth issued updates to what's considered "medically necessary," in gender-affirming healthcare. It updated the state’s Guidelines for Medical Necessity Determination for gender-affirming care. MassHealth uses these guidelines to determine what care is deemed necessary and paid for. Gender-affirming services currently include services such as hair removal, surgery, pubertal blockade, and hormone therapies. -See the full Boston Globe opinion piece.
Waivers Sought for Jobless Workers Who Were 'Overpaid' Benefits Lawmakers are hoping to buoy thousands of jobless workers who owe the state for “overpayment” of unemployment benefits during the pandemic. A proposal seeks to increase the number of waivers granted by the Department of Unemployment Assistance to workers who owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal benefits they weren’t supposed to get. Backers say loosening eligibility for the waivers will bring relief to unemployed workers who, in some cases, received and spent benefits they had no reason to question. “These are people who accepted these benefits — which they’ve used to meet rent, food and other basic needs — and are now being told they have to pay the money back,” said state Rep. Tram Nguyen, D-Andover, a co-sponsor of the bill. “In some cases these overpayments were not the fault of workers.” The proposal, filed by Rep. Joan Meschino, D-Hull, would require a waiver for people whose income after taxes is 125% or less than the state’s poverty level; if funds were used for “ordinary living expenses”; or if the state made a technical error leading to the overpayment, or if a notice of overpayment took too long to process. The plan also would require the state to review waivers that were previously denied for the expanded criteria. If the state collected overpayments from workers who are later granted a waiver, it would have 30 days to return those funds. Benefit overpayments can occur for a variety of reasons. People may apply for benefits they believe they’re qualified for but are later deemed ineligible. Applicants may make good-faith mistakes while filling out forms. In other cases, clerical errors were made in the state’s haste to approve claims. To recoup the money, Massachusetts offers individuals the chance to repay a lump sum or deduct from weekly payments if they are still getting benefits. Money also may be recovered from tax refunds, or through the courts. Beneficiaries who get notices of overpayment can appeal A pandemic relief law approved by Congress allows states to forgive overpayment if it’s determined the beneficiary wasn’t at fault or “if such repayment would be contrary to equity and good conscience.” Massachusetts has similar rules on the books, though Nguyen said the process for getting a waiver hasn’t been well publicized. A provision of the bill would require more public outreach to make beneficiaries aware that they may qualify for an exemption. “There has really been no notice for folks, which is problematic,” she said. “We need to make sure that they have access to these waivers.” - See the full Gloucester Times article.
Phony Diagnoses Hide High Rates of Drugging at Nursing Homes Antipsychotic drugs — which for decades have faced criticism as “chemical straitjackets” — are dangerous for older people with dementia, nearly doubling their chance of death from heart problems, infections, falls and other ailments. But understaffed nursing homes have often used the sedatives so they don’t have to hire more staff to handle residents. A New York Times investigation found a pattern of questionable diagnoses nationwide. The result: The government and the industry are obscuring the true rate of antipsychotic drug use on vulnerable residents. The share of residents with a schizophrenia diagnosis has soared 70 percent since 2012, according to an analysis of Medicare data. That was the year the federal government, concerned with the overuse of antipsychotic drugs, began publicly disclosing such prescriptions by individual nursing homes. Today, one in nine residents has received a schizophrenia diagnosis. In the general population, the disorder, which has strong genetic roots, afflicts roughly one in 150 people. Schizophrenia, which often causes delusions, hallucinations and dampened emotions, is almost always diagnosed before the age of 40. People don’t just wake up with schizophrenia when they are elderly,” said Dr. Michael Wasserman, a geriatrician and former nursing home executive who has become a critic of the industry. “It’s used to skirt the rules.” Medicare and industry groups have said they had made real progress toward reducing antipsychotic use in nursing homes, pointing to a significant drop since 2012 in the share of residents on the drugs. But when residents with diagnoses like schizophrenia are included, the decline is less than half what the government and industry claim. And when the pandemic hit in 2020, the trend reversed and antipsychotic drug use increased. Studies have found that the worse a home’s staffing situation, the greater its use of antipsychotic drugs. That suggests that some homes are using the powerful drugs to subdue patients and avoid having to hire extra staff. (Homes with staffing shortages are also the most likely to understate the number of residents on antipsychotics, according to the Times’s analysis of Medicare data.) Depakote, a medication to treat epilepsy and bipolar disorder, is one increasingly popular choice. The drug can make people drowsy and increases the risk of falls. Peer-reviewed studies have shown that it does not help with dementia, and the government has not approved it for that use. Between 2015 and 2018, the most recent data available, the use of anti-seizure drugs rose 15 percent in nursing home residents with dementia, according to an analysis of Medicare insurance claims that researchers at the University of Michigan prepared for The Times. And while Depakote’s use rose, antipsychotic prescriptions fell 16 percent. “The prescribing is far higher than you would expect based on the actual amount of epilepsy in the population,” said Dr. Donovan Maust, a geriatric psychiatrist at the University of Michigan who conducted the research. - See the full New York Times article.
Opinion: Medicaid’s Unfair Choice- Wait Months for In-Home Assistance—or Get Nursing Facility Coverage Today As a practical matter, federal policy allows Medicaid coverage to start from the first day for nursing facility care, but not for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). As a result, persons needing immediate help often have no choice but to move into a nursing facility. Too frequently, a forced nursing facility admission has devastating and long-lasting consequences. Low-income persons find themselves essentially trapped, unable to arrange for the housing and services necessary to move out of the nursing facility and back into the community. The unwanted nursing facility stay harms both the person and the state Medicaid program, which pays unnecessarily for expensive nursing facility care. The underlying problem is federal policy that prohibits Medicaid programs from covering HCBS provided prior to the approval date of an HCBS service plan. This counterproductive policy could be addressed legislatively. A small change to federal law could allow HCBS services to be covered retroactively—the same way that coverage for many types of health care is approved after care has been provided. With this change, a person needing immediate assistance would be able to fairly choose between HCBS and nursing facility care, rather than being forced into a nursing facility by lack of an alternative. CURRENT FEDERAL POLICY The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), however, excludes Home and Community-Based Services from these procedures. CMS guidance for HCBS waivers forbids any retroactive coverage of HCBS, and states that HCBS will not be covered for any date preceding the date on which a Medicaid HCBS service plan is approved. This policy was recently challenged by Medicaid beneficiaries but the challenge was rejected by the federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Nursing facility services and HCBS are different mechanisms for providing long-term services and supports (LTSS), but the policy discrepancy between the two is glaring. Recall that nursing facility coverage can begin on the first day of services, even if the Medicaid application is not approved until weeks or months later. If, by contrast, the same person chose HCBS instead of nursing facility services, Medicaid coverage could not be effective until weeks or months later. As a practical matter, the consequences of this policy discrepancy are clear: many low-income persons are forced to move into nursing facilities. They need services immediately, but the Medicaid program will provide coverage only for nursing facility services and not HCBS. In sum: Medicaid beneficiaries are forced into nursing facilities, and Medicaid programs pay unnecessarily for expensive nursing facility care. - See the full Justice in Aging Policy Brief.
Opinion: Listen to What Food Insecure People Say They Need – Proximity & Choice In a survey of over 500 food insecure people across Massachusetts, two common themes emerged: proximity and choice. Across all demographics, those struggling to provide fresh, healthy food for themselves and their families pointed to these same two areas when asked how they could better be served by our food aid systems. By trusting people, bringing food directly to those who need it, and by giving them the freedom and agency to select food they will actually eat, we can build a more effective model for addressing food insecurity. Throughout the survey, people consistently pointed to logistical hurdles preventing them from utilizing food pantries. Multiple respondents noted they did not have a car or driver’s license, saying that picking up a box of food and carrying it home, or having to transport it using public transportation, was too difficult. Others noted that older residents and people with disabilities often cannot get to food distribution sites. This data makes clear that these programs need more targeted outreach to the communities they’re designed to serve, and also that we must explore additional ways to shift food distribution from brick-and-mortar food pantries to places people already visit in their day-to-day lives, such as schools, grocery stores, libraries, and houses of worship. Respondents likewise noted difficulty in getting information and support in signing up for government aid programs such as P-EBT, WIC, and SNAP. Why not accompany food distribution at these sites with trained staff to sign people up on-the-spot for these programs? In addition to raising awareness of these programs and making them permanent, we must explore more ways to provide increased flexibility. What if food banks gave out grocery store gift cards instead of food boxes? Not only would this empower people to purchase food they will actually eat, but it would also eliminate logistical hurdles to food access and overhead costs like staffing, transportation, and storage. Similarly, what if we took the bureaucracy out of government aid programs and provided direct cash assistance to food insecure families? Programs such as this have been piloted around the country, including here in Chelsea, with compelling results. Food insecurity is a serious problem, but it is not an insurmountable one. We know the barriers to access and we know how to overcome them. The only question is whether our leaders trust their constituents enough to make them part of the solution. - See the full CommonWealth Magazine opinion piece.
Opportunities for Patients to Share Their Stories and Advocate for Service Improvements – PT-1, DME and SNF Sharing their story and advocating for service improvements can be an empowering experience for consumers. Here are some current opportunities to consider sharing with your patients and families. Do You Have Problems with MassHealth’s Non-emergency Medical Transportation (PT-1)? Contact Jessica Podesva to share your story at jpodesva@bostoncil.org or by phone at 978-893-8100. DME Users: We Want to Hear from You! DPC and BCIL are organizing a grassroots campaign to improve consumer experience with Durable Medical Equipment (DME). DME is any equipment used in daily life and independence, including wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, commodes, shower chairs, nebulizers, absorbency products, etc. We are particularly focusing on mobility devices (e.g. wheelchairs, walkers) and absorbency products, but any DME-users are welcome to participate! We want to interview you and hear your stories (both present and past) about getting your DME, getting it repaired, and getting it covered by MassHealth (and, if relevant, how these processes are impacted by the current pandemic). The interview will take between 30 minutes and an hour, and can happen by video call or over the phone. Please reach out to Harry Weissman, one of the organizers at DPC, to schedule an interview: BCIL Advocacy Opportunity: NURSING HOME STORIES NEEDED! We need to hear about your experiences in or with a nursing home. The state legislature is holding oversight hearings starting October 13 on the tragedy that befell nursing homes in Massachusetts during the pandemic-- over 6,000 deaths! It is important that they hear from people who’ve lived in facilities and or had family members in them. We are compiling some narratives from family members and residents, past or present, good or bad or otherwise. Please send to either Bill Henning at bhenning@bostoncil.org or Dianna Hu at dianna.hu@gmail.com. - From: DPC Update: We Oppose The Texas Anti-Choice Law, Disability Policy Consortium (DPC) Update, September 7, 2021. |