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MGH Community News |
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MGH Community News |
| July 2022 | Volume 26 • Issue 7 |
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. |
Cash Assistance and SNAP Benefits May be Stolen with No Notice or Recourse – Encourage Members to Regularly re-PIN their EBT Cards
(A previous, less detailed, version of this article was sent to the MGH Outreach and Resource Navigation group on 7/19/22). The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) is reporting that they are hearing of an alarming number of “skimming” cases among those who receive public benefits. Skimming is the use of an electronic device to steal card information from a card reader and create a fake card, known as cloning, to steal money or benefits. These scams are aimed at obtaining credit, debit and Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card information and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). DTA and its investigations team became aware of banks and retailers who appear to have had their ATMs and card processing terminals compromised. Credit card companies typically monitor your usage to identify suspicious activity and notify you to ascertain if your card may have been compromised and typically your liability is limited to $50. Unfortunately, there is no such mechanism for Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards- cards that have public benefits such as TAFDC, EAEDC and/or SNAP benefits loaded on them. And, also unlike your credit card, if scammers steal your funds, there is currently no mechanism to replace them, leaving the most needy vulnerable to losing their financial lifeline. Recipients typically have no warning that something is wrong until they attempt to use their benefits and find no funds available. To protect their benefits, DTA strongly recommends that clients change the PIN on their EBT cards at this time and before each scheduled benefit issuance date. Clients do not need to receive a new EBT card to safely access their benefits. How to re-PIN the card:
Unfortunately, the only way to re-PIN the card is by calling the above number.
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When SNAP is issued in Massachusetts:
When TAFDC and EAEDC Benefits are issued:
Check the available balance on your EBT card by:
Clients who receive TAFDC or EAEDC cash benefits can have their benefits sent to a checking or savings account through direct deposit. Direct deposit is a safe and reliable method to receive benefits and protect against fraud. Residents can contact their case manager if they have a bank account and want to set up direct deposit. There have also been reports of a phishing scam where individuals are receiving scam text messages that their Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) benefits have been blocked. The message directs individuals to call a number where they are asked to provide their P-EBT card number. This message is not from DTA. DTA only sends text messages from 382-674 and would only direct clients to call the Assistance Line (877-382-2363) or EBT Customer Service Line (800-997-2555). People should never provide their personal information or EBT/P-EBT card number over the phone to unidentified callers. If any DTA client believes they may have fallen victim to a skimming or phishing scam, they are encouraged to report it to DTA’s fraud hotline at 1-800-372-8399. - For more information see DTA’s press release on skimming, and Protect Your Benefits from Skimming
State Announces Major Component of Behavioral Roadmap: the 25 CBHCs (Starting January 2023) The Baker Administration has announced the selection of 25 Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) that will expand access to routine, urgent, and crisis treatment for mental health conditions and substance use disorders starting in January 2023. The CBHCs are a major part of the state’s Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform. Also in January 2023, the state will launch a 24/7 behavioral health helpline that will provide clinical assessment, triage, and referral to treatment, including deploying 24/7 mobile crisis intervention teams operated by Community Behavioral Health Centers.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services announced on July 15th that the public health emergency declaration is continued for another 90 days. This means the PHE will last through at least mid-October, and could be extended again. The Administration continues to reiterate its commitment to providing states and other stakeholders at least 60 days’ notice before ending the PHE. The extension means certain pandemic-related benefits flexibilities can continue including (not a complete list):
To prepare for the end of the PHE as it relates to health care coverag, check out this webinar from the National Center on Law & Elder Rights, Justice in Aging, and The Arc on Unwinding the Public Health Emergency: Strategies for Advocates to Protect Beneficiaries and resources from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). - From: From DC: Senate Budget Reconciliation Update, Public Health Emergency Extension, and more, Justice in Aging, July 15, 2022; Public Health Emergency Waiver Extension, Adam Delmolino, MHA, July 18, 2022; [Health-announce] Action Alert & Update, Vicky Pulos, MLRI, July 19, 2022; [FoodSNAPcoalition] Victories in FY23 Conf Budget; Updates on Economic Dev Package; Public Health Emergency Declaration extended, Pat Baker, MLRI, July 18, 2022.
Free School Meals are Back For Next Year Massachusetts has become one of a handful of states to continue providing free meals for all students next school year, regardless of a family's level of income. The $110 million provision was included in the $52 billion state budget, which, according to WBUR, Gov. Charlie Baker signed on Thursday. The state and the rest of the country experienced a world with universal free school meals starting with the pandemic in 2020 when the federal government issued waivers that allowed schools to provide all students free meals. But that pandemic-era program expired June 30 when Congress did not reauthorize funding for next school year. Which is why Massachusetts lawmakers stepped in. "A lot of families have come to depend on this," said state Sen. Sal DiDomenico (D). Rep. Andres Vargas (D) said the benefits of free school meals go beyond the kids themselves. "It's not just about nutrition of students, but also the economic relief for working parents that send their kids to public schools," he said. School officials are also quick to point out that extending the universal free school meals program is a huge administrative relief because they don't have to re-train staff on the pre-pandemic system that kept track of which students had to pay for school meals and which ones did not. - See the full WBUR story.
Inflation. Supply chain disruptions. Loss of funding. Sky-high demand. Those are just a few of the issues facing local families and organizations that are doing everything possible to provide diapers for the youngest community members. According to the National Diaper Bank, one in three American families struggle with diaper needs, with costs around $100 a month per child. During the pandemic, the South End Community Health Center (SECHC) bought diapers straight from medical suppliers with funding assistance from the Boston Resiliency Fund. They were able to give out two large packages of diapers to about 300 families biweekly, according to Kathy Field, director of health promotion and service programs. That funding has since dried up, and they now rely solely on Cradles to Crayons. Now, SECHC helps 600 to 700 families with diapers. However, instead of coming bi-weekly, those families can only come by twice a year to get two packages per child. Field said this supply lasts about two weeks. SECHC isn’t the only organization dealing with reduced funding for diapers and increased need from families who are struggling under the weight of inflation and supply chain woes. The demand trickles up to umbrella organizations such as Cradles to Crayons. Cradles to Crayons founder and CEO Lynn Margherio said due to the size of their organization, they are better positioned than small diaper banks, but even they do not have the resources to help the growing number of struggling families. "It was bad before the pandemic, it's gotten worse, and now with inflation at record levels, we can't keep up,” she said. Since 2019, demand for diapers at the organization has grown 300%. Joanne Goldblum, CEO of the National Diaper Bank, said she has seen some parents reuse disposable diapers. And because many childcare centers require that parents supply diapers, some parents are unable to work because they can’t send their child to daycare. -See the full WGBH story.
Testing is a critical part of the fight against COVID-19, but some people who are blind or have low vision face barriers using many of the COVID-19 tests on the market. On June 23, 2022, the Administration launched a new program to expand the availability of at-home COVID-19 tests that are more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. This month, the program began providing 12 test kits with each order, up from 2 kits when it launched. People who placed an order before July 7 and received two kits can place a second order now. These accessible tests are free. How to get the tests:
What's needed to use the tests:
To learn more click here - From: Good news on disability items in state budget!, DPC Update <ckillick@dpcma.org>, July 19, 2022.
The brutal mix of high demand and low supply in the Boston area has stoked bidding wars for rentals. Newly listed apartments disappear overnight. It can be a torturous process. To ease the burden, the Globe combed through state laws and renters’ resources to compile a list of tips that can save you money before, during, and after your lease. Here’s what you need to know: Moving inWatch for scams. In this highly competitive market, you may feel forced to act quickly and sign onto an apartment without much due diligence. Don’t do that. Rental scams are on the rise, as a July 12 alert from the the FBI Boston Division makes clear. To avoid getting swindled, always search for the property’s address on Google Maps to ensure that it is a real address, says Joanna Allison, executive director of the Boston-based Volunteer Lawyers Project. Arrange to see the apartment in person before sending any money. Do not view the apartment alone. Research the broker or agent before heading to the property. There are a few ways to check if the person you are communicating with is affiliated with the property up for rent. If the person is a real estate agent or broker, then they should have a Massachusetts real estate license. Visit the state’s online directory and type the person’s name into the search engine to see if they’re formally registered. If the person purports to own the property, visit the property database (see here for Cambridge, here for Somerville, here for Brookline, and here for Boston) and type in the person’s name to see if they are listed among the current owners. Beware the ‘discount clause.’ How did you get so lucky? The landlord is willing to give you a discount on rent when you pay on time. The only catch? There’s an added fee when the rent comes in late. Well, as it turns out, such an arrangement is illegal in Massachusetts. A discount clause is a late payment penalty clause in disguise. A landlord cannot charge interest on late rent until 30 days after the due date. If your lease has a discount clause, you do not have to pay the extra amount if your rent payment is late. Pay only the rent you agreed to pay. If your landlord demands extra money based on a discount clause, tell your landlord, in writing, that the discount clause is illegal. A statement of condition is your friend. So you’ve found an apartment and it’s move-in day. But before you start unpacking your things, walk around the apartment. Write down — in an e-mail draft or phone notes — a list of existing damage. Add even small defects, like tiny holes in the walls or windows that do not work well. Take photos, as you would with a new rental car. Within 10 days of the beginning of the lease or upon receipt of the security deposit (whichever is later), ask the landlord to supply a “statement of condition” describing the state of the apartment and any damage that exists at that time. Then, within 15 days, add to or amend that document with the defects you found during your walkthrough. Send it back to the landlord for review. The final version should be signed by both parties. Store a copy and take a photo. Receipts, receipts, receipts. Ask for a written receipt when you pay your security deposit and last month’s rent. Only pay your landlord in cash if he or she can immediately supply a receipt. The landlord then has 30 days to put your security deposit in a bank and give you a second receipt that documents the name and address of the bank holding the deposits, as well as the account number. If they don’t volunteer this information, ask for it in writing. During the leaseThe landlord cannot raise the rent in the middle of the lease. In most situations, the landlord cannot just raise the rent during an ongoing lease. So if you rent a $3,000/month property from Sept. 1, 2022 to Aug. 31, 2023, the rent should remain at $3,000/month for those 12 months. The one exception is if your lease has a “tax escalator clause,” which ties the rent to the property tax. Take a close look at your lease before signing to see if this clause is in there. Check those meters. If your lease states that you must pay electricity in your unit, be sure that you are only paying the utility costs for your unit and your unit alone. All common areas — think stairwells, laundry rooms, shared storage, or outdoor space — should be on a separate meter, rather than tacked onto that of the closest unit. One imprecise way to check this is to track down the meters in your building. Allison recommends counting the number of meters and comparing it to the number of units and shared spaces. Say your building has six units and only six meters. One unit is paying for those lights in the stairwell that stay on 24/7. “If the meter for your unit is spinning much faster than everyone else’s, then something’s up,” Allison said. If you suspect something might be wrong, have the electrical company come out and assess the meters free-of-charge. Most residents in Greater Boston are served by Eversource. ‘You are entitled to a safe and habitable living environment throughout your entire tenancy.’ Massachusetts state law mandates most of the tenant rights for the Boston area, including the “right to habitability.” The State Sanitary Code protects the health, safety, and well-being of tenants and the general public. Local health boards enforce the code. Under the code, tenants are entitled to things such as a home with working heat and water systems. Every room has to reach at least 68 degrees from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 16 to June 14, and at least 64 degrees all other hours. Homes should be free of rodents and cockroaches if there are two or more apartments in a building. Landlords are responsible for snow removal at multifamily units. Contact the landlord if any of these problems arise. Do it in writing. Follow up if necessary. If the landlord ignores these written appeals, contact the local health board (visit this directory to find the number for your local board of health). You can also withhold the rent until the proper fixes are made. It will have to be paid following repairs, however. Moving outTime to collect interest. At the end a year-long lease, you are entitled to the yearly interest earned on the accounts holding your security deposit and last month rent check. If the landlord did not put the deposit in a bank account, they must pay 5 percent interest on the deposit. The interest on the security deposit can only be earned after one year of tenancy. But the interest on the last month rent check must be paid out regardless of the length of the lease. That 5 percent may seem measly, but it can add up. Say you sign onto a yearlong lease for a $3,900/month apartment and pay first and last month rent, as well as a security deposit, which is equal to a month’s rent. The landlord must deposit the last month rent check ($3,900) and the security deposit ($3,900) in interest-earning accounts. At the end of the first year, you should receive $390 (5 percent on $7,800) in credit from the interest earned on both accounts. Often, landlords don’t volunteer this interest, even if they should. So if you’ve been living at the same apartment for five years and have never received interest on these accounts, the landlord must backpay you. In this hypothetical $3,900/month apartment, that would result in a $1,950 credit (5 percent on $7,800 five times over). How to get your security deposit back. A security deposit protects the landlord against losses if the tenant fails to pay rent or damages the premises. Allison says that except in case of extreme or obvious damage, the deposit should be returned. “It’s a bit like pornography. You know it when you see it,” said Allison of billable damage. “Say you punch holes in the wall or drive a lawn mower through the living room or drop something in the bathtub and crack the tub. That’s not really normal wear. But if there’s a trail of footprints and dirt on the carpet coming in the front door or scratches on the walls or grease in the oven, that’s typical life.” If your landlord withholds the deposit either in full or partially, they must document the damage and provide an invoice for the cost of repair within 30 days after you move out. The landlord cannot use the deposit for painting, minor repairs or cleaning. Reference “the statement of condition” to refute damage that existed before your lease started. Say 30 days have passed since you left the apartment and your landlord still hasn’t returned your deposit or provided documentation of damages. Draft a demand letter (here’s a template) and send it to your landlord. Keep a copy. Still no response? Time to consider taking your landlord to small claims court (visit here to get started). The landlord must award three times your security deposit (plus interest and all legal fees) if the court finds that the landlord did not place the deposit in a separate account, did not transfer the deposit to a new owner, or did not return the deposit or provide a list of damages within 30 days of your last day at the apartment. “This is where all that documentation comes in handy,” Allison said. Tenant resourcesBoston Tenant Coalition is an advocacy group for tenants in the city. It is comprised of grassroots tenant neighborhood groups, community development corporations, and homeless and advocacy organizations. They have guides in a variety of languages. MassLegalHelp is a rudimentary but exhaustive site teeming with advice on tenant’s looking for legal advice on housing. If you have a question, they have likely already answered it in their housing section. Massachusetts is not exactly known for its renter-friendly legislation, but it does provides a solid online depot of tenant rights, including links to relevant statutes so you can reference them in correspondence and court. RAFT is a state program — Residential Assistance for Families in Transition — for providing short-term financial assistance to low-income families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. RAFT provides qualifying households with up to $7,000 per year to preserve current housing or move to new housing. RAFT can cover utilities, moving costs and overdue rent, as well as forward rent in limited situations. The state attorney general’s office offers up a easily readable 18-page guide on tenant rights. The State Sanitary Code is the exhaustive code that defines and explains the guidelines of habitability in Massachusetts. It is the definitive tool in determining if a tenant has the right to withhold rent. Volunteer Lawyers Project is an organization that can provide pro bono legal assistance to low-income individuals in the greater Boston area. Apply online here or call the hotline at 617-603-1700.
On June 29, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released revised Surveyor’s Guidelines for nursing facilities, along with a policy memorandum describing the revised Guidelines and accompanying revisions. The Guidelines are used by government inspectors in determining whether and to what extent a nursing has violated federal requirements. Among other things, the revised Guidelines address staffing levels, visitation rights, infection prevention and control, and arbitration agreements. Notably, the Guidelines improve transfer/discharge standards and set forth important strategies to provide culturally competent care. The revised Guidelines will not become effective until October 24, 2022, in order to give nursing facilities and government surveyors enough time to adapt. The current version of the Surveyor’s Guidelines—effective until October 24—is found at Appendix PP to the CMS State Operations Manual. New Anti-Payer Source Discrimination Guidance Sexual Activity Involuntary Transfer and Discharge Returning to Facility After Hospitalization Arbitration Agreements Other topics addressed include trauma informed care and “cultural competence”. -Source and for more information: see the full Justice in Aging Issue Brief
MA Loan Forgiveness Extended to LCSWs (Outpatient Only) In March 2022, NASW MA notified social workers of a Loan Repayment Program funded through the Department of Public Health and administered by the Massachusetts League of Community Centers. This program, called the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program (MLRP), covers a wide range of professionals providing health and mental health services. We heard the disappointment expressed by many of you that the program regulations only covered those social workers licensed at the highest level (LICSW). Since we learned of this issue, we have been advocating in collaboration with the Mass League for a correction to include LCSWs in this loan repayment program. As we all know, many of the behavioral health professionals doing this work on the frontlines are LCSWs and many have significant and even crushing student loan debt. We are excited to share with you today that we have been successful in our advocacy efforts! While the 2022 program has closed, in the next cycle (2023) the MLRP will include eligibility for LCSWs! Please note that, unfortunately, social workers who work in an inpatient setting are not eligible with the exception for this year’s eligibility expansion for SUD Clinicians working in residential settings.. The goal of the Massachusetts Loan Repayment Program is to provide educational loan repayment as an incentive for health professionals to practice in communities where significant shortages of health care providers and barriers to access have been identified. Practice sites (and sponsoring healthcare organizations, if different) must be public or nonprofit outpatient facilities, deliver primary health care services, accept public insurance, and offer discounted services to low-income, uninsured patients on a sliding fee or scale (http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/) with discounts based on income levels. As a result, providers in inpatient settings are not eligible for this program We will continue to seek opportunities to advocate for loan forgiveness for social workers in our state at every turn, and in every program that is rolled out. And we will continue to notify you of loan forgiveness programs for which social workers may be eligible. If you are interested in learning more about MLRP's program, click here and see the FAQ. - From NASW-MA Advocacy is Successful!, Brianna Silva, NASW Massachusetts Chapter, July 1, 2022 with additional information from the MLRP FAQ.
Mountainside Now Offering Telehealth SUDs Services in Massachusetts The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services has granted a Connecticut-based rehabilitation center, Mountainside Treatment Center, the ability to begin providing virtual substance abuse treatment as of June 1, 2022. Residents of Massachusetts can now access clinical treatment for alcoholism, drug addiction, and co-occurring disorders, regardless of their proximity to a physical provider. Mountainside’s virtual Massachusetts services include an intensive outpatient program (IOP) and an outpatient program (OP), which utilize treatment modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing to help clients recover and heal from substance use disorders. Mountainside’s virtual services also include individual therapy for those who prefer one-on-one counseling sessions with a licensed clinician and Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for individuals who opt for this modality to complement their opioid addiction treatment plan. To learn more about Mountainside’s telehealth services, visit https://mountainside.com/telehealth. Mountainside also offers free virtual support groups, open to anyone. A list of support groups and their weekly schedules can be found here. - See the full Mountainside press release. - Thanks to Judy Burrows for sharing this resource.
In May of this year, President Biden announced that his Administration negotiated an agreement with 20 internet companies to offer high speed internet with no out of pocket costs and no data caps for ACP beneficiaries. 6 out of the 20 companies operate in Massachusetts. MLRI created a chart showing the type of plans the 6 companies offer that will be free when paired with ACP: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KEJN1eAcmuE_pS3i_egstv7EsHvbruTF/view Virginia Benzan, Director of Racial Justice Advocacy, Mass Law Reform Institute (MLRI) is inviting advocates to contact her if you have any questions or experienced any difficulties with assisting clients to enroll in ACP. - From [Mass-digital-equity] Free Internet with ACP, Virginia Benzan, MLRI, July 27, 2022.
BAGLY’s Host Homes program works to provide safe temporary housing to LGBTQ+ youth (ages 18-24) experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity. Host homes are offered for up to 6 months. Hosts provide a space in their home for youth that include a spare bedroom, access to a bathroom and kitchen and other spaces determined by the youth and the host. Youth are assigned a housing case manager and are able to participate in all of BAGLY’s programming. This includes clinic and mental health services, social programs, and life skills programming. BAGLY will match youth’s savings up to $1200 while they are a part of the program to assist with securing housing when the program ends. Contact T’Ajmal Hogue at thogue@bagly.org for more information. See the Upcoming Information Sessions and Youth Registration Form Sources
- Thanks to Hannah Perry for submitting this article.
HEARTH: Working to End Elder Homelessness HEARTH is a non-profit organization that runs multiple programs with a goal of ending elder homelessness. HEARTH Housing HEARTH operates 228 units of permanent supportive housing throughout Greater Boston. All of the residents of these units are older adults that at one point were either homeless, rent burdened, and/or at risk of becoming homeless. The housing sites all have case managers, including registered nurses, social workers, licensed mental health clinicians, and program managers. The applications for these units can be found at: https://hearth-home.org/housing-application. For additional questions individuals can call the intake line at 617-369-1578. Outreach Program The Outreach program serves adults aged 50 or older who are currently living on the street, in homeless shelters, or are at risk of homelessness. Outreach case managers work with community agencies including hospitals to identify seniors who need housing search services. Case managers provide direct assistance to help individuals experiencing homelessness find affordable housing. They also work with individuals to help them access social services including physical and mental health care, financial and legal and more. For individuals on the verge of becoming homeless, Prevention Case Managers can offer assistance with maintaining housing to avoid eviction. Individuals can access outreach services by calling 617-986-3402 or by emailing outreach@hearth-home.org. Housing Search Help Housing search help is available to adults aged 50 or older who are experiencing homelessness or at-risk of becoming homeless. The service area includes Greater Boston, Brookline, Somerville, and Cambridge. For individuals that are currently experiencing homelessness HEARTH has case managers who work with multiple shelters. Individuals at risk of homelessness can contact HEARTH directly for services by calling 617-986-3402 or by emailing outreach@hearth-home.org. Source: https://hearth-home.org/ -Thanks to Hannah Perry for submitting this article.
MassHealth Extends Postpartum Health Coverage to 12-Months Massachusetts can now extend MassHealth coverage from 60 days to 12 months after pregnancy. This applies primarily to those who are otherwise ineligible for MassHealth due to immigration status – such as during the five year bar, those with types of legal status that do not qualify and those without immigration documentation. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the state’s request for the extension. The measure is part of the state’s efforts to improve postpartum health services for under-served residents, address health disparities and advance health equity for MassHealth members. The move is expected to help approximately 8,000 people a year continue with MassHealth coverage for a full year after pregnancy. “Improving maternal health outcomes and healthcare access for pregnant and postpartum individuals across the state is a priority for the Administration,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “The collaboration with CMS supports our commitment to ensure equitable access to health care coverage and care for the families of Massachusetts.” As a part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, states were given the option to extend Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months post-pregnancy. Massachusetts residents can apply for MassHealth coverage online or by calling MassHealth at 1-800-841-2900. - See the full WWLP story.
CMS Proposes Medicare Dental Coverage Expansion to Pre-Transplant In the newly published 2023 Physician Fee Schedule, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes to expand payment for dental services that are integral to covered medical services. Currently, Medicare Part B pays for “medically necessary” dental services such as jaw reconstruction following an injury or tooth extractions to prepare for jaw cancer treatment. CMS is proposing to expand its interpretation of “medically necessary” coverage to include services such as dental examination and treatment preceding an organ transplant. CMS is also seeking comment on other medical conditions where Medicare should pay for dental services, as well as on a process to get public input when additional dental services may be integral to the clinical success of other medical services. Comments are due September 6, 2022. This expansion of medically necessary dental health coverage is an important step to begin addressing health inequities for people of color and low-income enrollees that are caused and exacerbated by Medicare’s failure to cover comprehensive oral health care. Justice in Aging has been working with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Families USA, and other partners on this effort to expand Medicare oral health administratively, as well as advocating for Congress to authorize comprehensive oral health coverage under Medicare Part B. Learn more about Justice in Aging’s oral health advocacy. - From - From DC: Progress on Medicare Prescription Drug Reform & Budget Reconciliation Package, Medicare Dental Coverage, and more, Justice in Aging, July 8, 2022.
Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) for MassHealth Members Using Their Hospice Benefit MassHealth would like to take this opportunity to offer this reminder to MassHealth enrolled PERS providers regarding PERS devices, coordination with the hospice provider, and billing for PERS devices for MassHealth members who have elected the MassHealth Hospice Benefit. PERS providers may not bill a MassHealth member for a lifeline device even if the member has enrolled in the MassHealth Hospice Benefit. Per 130 CMR 450.403(A) Payment in Full “No provider may solicit, charge, receive, or accept any money, gift, or other consideration from a member, or from any other person, for any item or medical service for which payment is available under MassHealth.” PERS providers who provide lifeline devices to MassHealth members who are in the MassHealth Hospice Benefit must coordinate with the hospice to determine if the device is related to the palliation and management of the member’s terminal illness. If this device is not related to the palliation and management of the member’s terminal illness the hospice will give the PERS provider a letter stating that. The PERS provider should submit this with their claim to MassHealth. If a hospice provider determines that the lifeline is related to the member’s terminal illness the hospice provider should document this in the member’s plan of care and the hospice provider is responsible for payment to the PERS provider. At no time should the MassHealth member be billed for the lifeline. If you or your agency has questions regarding this communication, please contact the LTSS Service Center at (844) 368-5184 or support@masshealthltss.com. - From: Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) for MassHealth Members Who Have Elected the MassHealth Hospice Benefit, Massachusetts Health Care Training Forum, July 25, 2022.
Additional Preschool Funding in Boston Boston is injecting an additional $20 million in early childhood education through the city’s universal pre-K program — an investment Mayor Michelle Wu said will make preschool more accessible and affordable for all families in a state with the highest child care costs in the nation. The funding will allow the city to expand its universal pre-K program by increasing seats for 3- and 4-year-olds to nearly a thousand in community-based provider settings, including incorporating in-home family child care providers into the pre-K network for the first time. Details and Access Over the coming school year, Boston Public Schools and the Office of Early Childhood will partner with 20 family child care providers, members of the UPK Advisory Board, and other experts to design Boston’s family child care component. Boston’s universal pre-K program is now accepting applications for seats at community-based providers for the school year beginning this fall. Eligible students must be Boston residents and must turn 3 or 4 years old on or before Sept. 1. More information on the Boston UPK program and the application can be found at www.bostonpublicschools.org/upk. A list of the current community providers can be found here and can be viewed on a map here. The Problem and Additional Information
Massachusetts families are among the most burdened in the nation by the high cost of child care. Nearly half of children don’t attend preschool, mostly because they can’t afford it, studies have found. The expansion of universal pre-K in Boston comes as lawmakers on Beacon Hill are seeking statewide solutions to slash child care costs for Bay State families. The State Senate on Thursday is expected to take up a bill that would increase the number of middle-income families to qualify for child care subsidies. A phased-scale would increase the current eligibility threshold from 50% of state median income to 125%, or from $65,626 to $164,065 for a household of four. The city will offer up to 992 seats though community providers, which breaks down to 627 seats for 4-year-olds and 365 seats for 3-year-olds. The finding will also pay for training and technical assistance for the child care centers, as well as salary increases for classroom staff, McSwain said. The universal pre-K network also has 2,556 seats in the public schools for 4-year-olds without disabilities and 880 seats for 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities. - See the full MassLive article.
MA AG Warns of ‘Deceptive’, ‘Coercive’ Crisis Pregnancy Centers In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is warning Bay Staters to beware of crisis pregnancy centers that aim to dissuade people from seeking abortions, despite masquerading as legitimate reproductive health care facilities often situated in close proximity to Planned Parenthood clinics. In bold and underlined text, Healey’s consumer advisory emphasizes that crisis pregnancy centers “do NOT provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare” and many are “NOT licensed medical facilities.” Although employees may be wearing white coats, they are not usually licensed doctors and nurses, including those performing ultrasounds, the advisory states. People scheduling appointments should confirm whether the center is licensed and will provide abortions or referrals. “While crisis pregnancy centers claim to offer reproductive healthcare services, their goal is to prevent people from accessing abortion and contraception,” Healey said in a statement Wednesday morning. “In Massachusetts, you have the right to a safe and legal abortion. We want to ensure that patients can protect themselves from deceptive and coercive tactics when seeking the care they need.” The attorney general’s new multilingual advisory warns that crisis pregnancy centers often mislead women about how far along they are in their pregnancies, as well as “provide inaccurate and misleading information” about abortions. During online searches, people can identify several warning signs, including terminology identifying a supposed abortion provider as a pregnancy resource center, pregnancy help center or women’s resource center. People can file complaints about crisis pregnancy centers with Healey’s office, either online at mass.gov/ago/civilrightscomplaint or by phone at 617-963-2917. - See the full MassLive article.
The state’s biggest health insurers are promising to pay for members to cross state lines for abortion care if they live in places where abortion is restricted. Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care said they will cover airfare, rental cars, and hotel stays for people who can’t get abortions where they live. This follows a similar move from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Tufts and Harvard Pilgrim — which are based in Massachusetts but have members across the country — also will pay travel costs for members who need gender-affirming surgeries and live in states where those services are banned. Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state’s largest health insurer, has about 800,000 members who live outside Massachusetts, a number that's likely to grow as remote work becomes more popular. Blue Cross will pay the costs for members who need to travel 100 miles or more to obtain a medication-assisted or surgical abortion. - See the full WBUR story.
MGB Roe v. Wade FAQs and Resources In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Mass General Brigham (MGB) system will continue to provide high-quality, compassionate, patient-centered reproductive health care for patients. Below are some helpful resources:
- Mass General Minute, 7/5/22
President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to try to protect abortion access under mounting pressure from fellow Democrats to be more forceful in response to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling. The actions Biden outlined are intended to mitigate some potential penalties that women seeking abortion may face after the ruling, but his order cannot restore access to abortion in the more than a dozen states where strict limits or total bans have gone into effect. About a dozen more states are set to impose additional restrictions. Biden’s action formalized instructions to the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to push back on efforts to limit the ability of women to access federally approved abortion medication or to travel across state lines to access clinical abortion services. His executive order also directs agencies to work to educate medical providers and insurers about how and when they are required to share privileged patient information with authorities — an effort to protect women who seek or utilize abortion services. He is also asking the Federal Trade Commission to take steps to protect the privacy of those seeking information about reproductive care online and establish an interagency task force to coordinate federal efforts to safeguard access to abortion. Biden is also directing his staff to convene volunteer lawyers to provide women and providers with pro bono legal assistance to help them navigate new state restrictions after the Supreme Court ruling. Gostin encouraged Biden to take a more forceful approach toward ensuring access to medication abortion across the country and said Medicaid should consider covering transportation to other states for the purposes of getting abortions. For more information see on your right to access reproductive health care, visit www.reproductiverights.gov or see the FACT SHEET: President Biden to Sign Executive Order Protecting Access to Reproductive Health Care Services | The White House - See the full Boston Globe article.
The Biden administration is telling hospitals it will aggressively enforce a federal law that calls on doctors to stabilize patients in need of emergency medical treatment -- including by providing an abortion if the doctor thinks ending a pregnancy is needed to protect the person's health. Officials say they believe the standard under federal law goes further than anti-abortion statues in states that allow abortions only to protect a woman's life. The move is the latest effort by President Joe Biden to try to blunt the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling last month overturning the guarantee to access abortion, which drew widespread conservative praise. The new guidance to hospitals was included as part of an executive order recently signed by Biden. While the effort doesn't include any new protections or laws -- and it doesn't expand access to abortion care in states that restrict it -- administration officials say they believe the step is necessary to make clear to hospitals and doctors that they can still provide abortions if it protects the pregnant patient. In a letter to hospitals, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said if there was any question, providers are to follow guidance under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Under the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, federal law supersedes state law. "As frontline health care providers, the federal EMTALA statute protects your clinical judgment and the action that you take to provide stabilizing medical treatment to your pregnant patients, regardless of the restrictions in the state where you practice," Becerra wrote. The Department of Health and Human Services said emergency medical conditions involving pregnant patients may include "ectopic pregnancy, complications of pregnancy loss, or emergent hypertensive disorders, such as preeclampsia with severe features." "Any state laws or mandates that employ a more restrictive definition of an emergency medical condition are preempted by the EMTALA statute," Becerra wrote. The federal law known as EMTALA is enforced through complaints. If a hospital is found to violate the law, it could lose access to the Medicare program or face fines. - See the full ABC News story.
The Biden administration on Wednesday issued guidance to around 60,000 pharmacies telling them they can't stop patients from accessing prescribed medication, and that such an action would be considered discrimination. Why it matters: Some patients, particularly in states that have banned or restricted abortions, have been denied access to specific medication like cancer treatments because they can terminate a pregnancy. Driving the news: There have been reports of pharmacists denying patients their prescriptions in fear of being prosecuted under state laws that restrict abortion access. State of play: The senior HHS official said federal law supersedes state law, and the department will evaluate on a case-by-case basis whether laws conflict with one another. - See the full Axios story.
Biden administration officials on Thursday reminded insurers that they are legally required to cover contraception services at no cost. The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury issued guidance reminding insurers of the legal obligation under the Affordable Care Act (ACA or “ObamaCare”) to provide contraceptive coverage for free. Officials said the guidance was issued in response to increasing complaints from individuals and covered dependents about not receiving this coverage. In all 50 states, the ACA guarantees coverage of preventive reproductive services, including birth control and contraceptive counseling, for individuals and covered dependents. “With abortion care under attack, it is critical that we ensure birth control is accessible nationwide, and that employers and insurers follow the law and provide coverage for it with no additional cost,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. Advocates are concerned Republican legislatures emboldened by the decision overturning Roe could try to outlaw some emergency contraceptives such as Plan B and intrauterine devices, even though they are covered by the law’s mandate. Last month, Becerra, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to health insurers and employer health plan organizations, and the departments convened a meeting with them, reminding executives of the industry’s obligations to provide free coverage for contraceptive services. - See the full The Hill article.
On June 24, our profession, sense of self and American identities were shaken to the core by the Supreme Court ruling that overturned 50 years of legal precedent providing federal protections for abortion. As four obstetrician-gynecologists from academic medical centers in Massachusetts, we are fortunate to practice in a state in which the right to abortion is protected by statute. However, living in Massachusetts will not completely protect patients or providers from the impact of this decision. The 2021 Texas law prohibiting abortion after six weeks had an immediate impact, delaying necessary care for pregnant people, which resulted in life-threatening complications for many patients. Many anecdotal reports suggest physicians in the states immediately impacted by trigger bans, now uncertain about the legal implications of vaguely-worded restrictions, are delaying emergency care until patients’ health dramatically deteriorates. While pregnant people from states hostile to abortion will suffer the most under these restrictions, these bans also have the potential to subject Massachusetts physicians who care for these patients to criminal prosecution, civil suits and public scrutiny. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order to protect health care providers who provide abortions and their patients by prohibiting cooperation with out-of-state investigations into legal care, among other measures. The legislature is currently working to pass comprehensive protections for patients and providers of abortion care through multiple measures, including through enhanced privacy laws. Although this legislation could shield physicians from criminal prosecution for abortion care legally rendered within the state of Massachusetts, it doesn't protect these physicians from potentially financially devastating civil suits filed by out-of-state private citizens. Physicians also could remain vulnerable to prosecution if they perform a legal abortion in Massachusetts that results in a warrant related to that care in a state that has banned the procedure. Texas allows private citizens to target providers who provide abortions in violation of state law for a financial reward; this is of particular concern to obstetrician-gynecologists, who (prior to the pandemic) have to travel to Dallas to obtain board certification. Although the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology had planned to reinstate in-person certification exams this year, they recently announced that remote exams will continue, partially in recognition of the danger to physicians who provide abortion care. Despite these dangers, Massachusetts-based reproductive health clinics and hospitals are working to increase capacity to meet the growing number of patients seeking out-of-state abortion care. While we are fortunate to have a centralized access system that is supported by the state, increasing the volume of care provided to patients will not be easy. We are in the third year of a global pandemic that continues to disrupt usual health care operations, and we face a historic shortage of health care workers. Finally, Massachusetts is a recognized leader in training the next generation of obstetrician-gynecologists, and as medical educators, we fear the impact of these abortion restrictions on current and future trainees. Since an anticipated 26 states are planning to ban or severely limit access to abortion procedures, nearly 2,600 trainees (44% of all active OB-GYN residents) will be unable to obtain critical experience at their home programs. Prior to the Dobbs decision, abortion training was a requirement for all accredited OB-GYN residency programs. Programs were required to “provide training or access to training in the provision of abortion care” to ensure that all residents graduated with the skill set to provide comprehensive pregnancy care; the medical and surgical care for abortion is identical to that for miscarriage management. However, as a result of the limited access imposed by state-level restrictions, OB-GYN residency programs can no longer require this critical training. - See the full WBUR Cognoscenti commentary.
A report commissioned by Somerville spells out location and design options for a supervised consumption, or overdose prevention center. It’s the latest step in Somerville’s pledge to open the first such clinic in Massachusetts, where people who inject, smoke or snort drugs would be monitored and given oxygen or naloxone to prevent a fatal overdose. The 81-page document, prepared by Fenway Health, recommends the city begin with a large trailer, outfitted as a clinic, stationed in a city-owned parking lot. It would be open between 10 and 24 hours a day, depending on what the city could afford and would cost between $1.4 and $2.9 million a year. Somerville would partner with area providers for services the trailer doesn’t have room to offer: primary care, help with housing and initiating treatment. Advocates acknowledge a portable unit is not ideal. But they say it would be the fastest way to get a supervised consumption clinic up and running while the city reviews more expensive options, like renovating buildings. “With more than 2,000 people a year in Massachusetts dying, the imperative to move as quickly as possible is that we need to start saving lives,” said Carl Sciortino, executive vice president of external relations at Fenway Health and project leader of the report. “A modular unit will meet the critical needs of the clients that we're aiming to serve.” There would be at least seven staffers, the report says, including a nurse, a behavioral health clinician, the program director, a site manager, a safety specialist and two peer support specialists. The report came out the same week the Massachusetts Legislature tabled bills that would have created a pilot program for supervised consumption clinics in Massachusetts and lifted some state licensing and liability concerns for clients and staff. Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne says she’s not deterred. “I’m committed to moving forward,” Ballantyne said. “This is a tool for harm reduction. And, why not use it, because 15 to 20 people are dying every year in our community?” Two overdose prevention centers that opened in New York City last year, the first in the U.S., did so without explicit state or federal approval. A study released this July showed they are saving lives. The program’s director said in a tweet that as of July 22, staffers have intervened in 329 overdoses with zero deaths. Leaders at the Department of Justice and President Biden’s drug czar have said they are evaluating supervised consumption as a harm reduction tool. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, a Democrat who is running for governor, said she’s already decided. “Harm reduction strategies are an important part of mitigating the opioid crisis,” Healey said in a statement. “I support allowing communities to decide what’s best for their residents, including the option of setting up safe consumption sites, given the urgent need to help connect people with treatment services, address stigma, and save lives.” Supervised consumption has some formidable opponents. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has said he wants to focus on legal approaches to tackling overdose deaths, and that there is more evidence needed to support the use of such sites. Some members of the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association say assisting with illegal drug use could be seen as immoral. And top State House leaders have said the idea needs more study. - See the full WBUR story.
Jacob Bor has been thinking about a parallel universe. He envisions a world in which America has health on par with that of other wealthy nations, and is not an embarrassing outlier that, despite spending more on health care than any other country, has shorter life spans, higher rates of chronic disease and maternal mortality, and fewer doctors per capita than its peers. Bor, an epidemiologist at Boston University School of Public Health, imagines the people who are still alive in that other world but who died in ours. He calls such people “missing Americans.” And he calculates that in 2021 alone, there were 1.1 million of them. Bor and his colleagues arrived at that number by using data from an international mortality database and the CDC. For every year from 1933 to 2021, they compared America’s mortality rates with the average of Canada, Japan, and 16 Western European nations (adjusting for age and population). They showed that from the 1980s onward, the U.S. started falling behind its peers. Were the U.S. “just average compared to other wealthy countries, not even the best performer, fully a third of all deaths last year would have been prevented,” Bor told me. That includes half of all deaths among working-age adults. “Think of two people you might know under 65 who died last year: One of them might still be alive,” he said. “It raises the hairs on the back of my neck.” These counterfactuals puncture two common myths about America’s pandemic experience: that the U.S. was just one unremarkable victim of a crisis that spared no nation and that COVID disrupted a status quo that was strong and worth restoring wholesale. In fact, as one expert predicted in March 2020, the U.S. had the worst outbreak in the industrialized world. “I don’t think people in the United States actually have any awareness of just how poorly we do as a country at letting people live to old age,” Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, a sociologist at the University of Minnesota, told me. Bor says that people often misinterpret life-expectancy declines, as if they simply represent a few years shaved off the end of a life. Someone might reasonably ask: What’s the big deal if I die at 76 versus 78? But in fact, life expectancy is falling behind other wealthy nations in large part because a lot of Americans are dying very young—in their 40s and 50s, rather than their 70s and 80s. The country is experiencing what Bor and his colleagues call “a crisis of early death”—a long-simmering tragedy that COVID took to a furious boil. In every country, the coronavirus wrought greater damage upon the bodies of the elderly than the young. But this well-known trend hides a less obvious one: During the pandemic, half of the U.S.’s excess deaths—the missing Americans—were under 65 years old. Even though working-age Americans were less likely to die of COVID than older Americans, they fared considerably worse than similarly aged people in other countries. From 2019 to 2021, the number of working-age Americans who died increased by 233,000—and nine in 10 of those deaths wouldn’t have happened if the U.S. had mortality rates on par with its peers. These staggering numbers also help contextualize COVID’s toll. The coronavirus caused the largest single-year rise in mortality since World War II, becoming the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after only heart disease and cancer. But this enormous tragedy unfolded against an already tragic backdrop: The number of missing Americans from 2019 is larger than the number of people who were killed by COVID in 2020 or 2021. This isn’t to minimize COVID’s impact; it simply shows that in the Before Times, America had “very successfully normalized to an extremely high level of death on the scale of what we experienced in the pandemic,” Justin Feldman, a social epidemiologist at Harvard, told me. The current mortality crisis was long in the making. In terms of mortality, America’s peer countries—many of which had been hammered by World War II and its aftermath—began catching up with it in the mid-1970s before overtaking in the early 1980s. That was a pivotal era, when globalization, automation, and a growing service industry led to huge losses in mining, manufacturing, and other blue-collar sectors. The U.S. profoundly failed to protect its citizens from these changes. Its social safety net—state assistance for parents, or people facing job, food, or housing insecurity—was meager; its public-health system was languishing after decades of underinvestment; and unlike every other wealthy country, it lacked universal health care. These factors “privatized risk,” Bor and his colleagues wrote in their paper, “tying health more closely to personal wealth and employment.” As labor unions declined and minimum wages stagnated, more Americans had fewer resources to lean on if their health declined. Poorer Americans already lived, on average, shorter lives than rich ones, and that gulf started to widen. Other particularly American choices exacerbated the stresses on the health of the country’s citizens, again weighing more heavily on less wealthy people. A growing mass-incarceration industry punished them. A deregulatory agenda that began with Ronald Reagan’s administration left them vulnerable to unhealthy foods, workplace hazards, environmental pollutants, guns, and opioids. “America basically says: If you’re poor, you don’t have access to safe choices,” Bor told me. Factors like social inequalities and frayed social safety nets are the fundamental weaknesses of American society, which more specific problems like opioids, metabolic disorders, and COVID exploit. During the pandemic, for example, poor and minority groups were more likely to be infected because they lived in crowded housing, distrusted medical leaders, and couldn’t work from home or take time off when sick. And instead of addressing these foundational problems, policy makers instead focused on personal responsibility. America’s drastic underperformance in health also stems from its history of segregation and discrimination. Racist policies have obviously harmed the health of minorities. But as the policy expert Heather McGhee and the physician Jonathan Metzl have independently argued, elites have long marshaled the racial resentment of poor white Americans to undermine support for public goods that would benefit everyone, such as universal health care. Per Frederick Douglass and other Black leaders, “They divided both to conquer each.” COVID, for example, disproportionately killed Black, Latino, and Indigenous Americans—a trend that, when highlighted to white people, reduces their concern about the pandemic and their support for safety measures. But in 2021, young white Americans still died at three times the rate of the average resident of other peer nations, while young Black and Indigenous Americans died at rates five- and eightfold higher, respectively. “There are thousands of racial-disparity studies that compare Black people to white people—but white Americans are a terrible counterfactual,” Bor told me. They’re frogs in the same pot, boiling more slowly but boiling nonetheless. By using them as a baseline, we ignore how “everyone is harmed by the status quo in the U.S.,” Blackstock told me, while also underestimating how dire things really are for people of color. (The same problem applies to income inequality: White Americans living in the richest 1 percent of counties still have higher rates of maternal and infant mortality than the average residents of wealthy countries.) The entire concept of missing Americans is rooted in a comparison with other countries, which shows that these early deaths aren’t inevitable. The U.S. could at least start moving in the direction of its peers by adopting policies that work elsewhere, such as universal health care, minimum-wage increases, federally required paid sick leave, and better unemployment insurance. But “the inability of our politics to generate policies that manage health threats is grim,” Bor said. None of the weaknesses that COVID exposed have been addressed; some, like the chasm-sized health gaps between rich and poor or white and Black, have been widened. Vaccines significantly reduce the risk of dying from COVID, but their power is blunted by low uptake, new variants, the lifting of almost all infection-thwarting protections, and the looming loss of COVID funding. Reactionary laws that hamstring what public-health departments can do in emergencies will make the U.S. vulnerable to the new viruses that will inevitably assault it in future years. America’s already underperforming health-care system has been badly battered by the pandemic, and weakened by waves of health-care-worker resignations. In recent months, the Supreme Court has constrained both gun and carbon-emission regulations, while clearing the road for states to restrict or ban abortions—a move that could easily boost America’s already sky-high maternal mortality rates. The climate is still changing rapidly, exposing people who have no choice but to work outside to the ravages of heat. As much of the country returns to normal, Bor’s study makes plain what normal actually meant—and, as I wrote in 2020, that normal led to this. “A lot of Americans may be under the impression that we had a bad go of it during COVID, and once the pandemic is over, they can go back to having the best health in the world,” Woolf told me. “That is a gross misconception.” - See the full Atlantic article.
According to the Massachusetts Health Insurance Survey, a statewide survey of 5,000 people conducted by the Center for Health Information and Analysis, 2.4 percent of state residents were uninsured in 2021, a low number in line with rates from recent years. Those numbers are markedly lower than the national uninsured rate, which has hovered closer to 10 percent in the last several years. Yet, health insurance still was inaccessible for some. Nearly half of uninsured respondents said cost was a reason they were uninsured, and 20.6 percent said they didn’t know how to get insurance. Even for those who have insurance, 41 percent of respondents said they had trouble affording health care. “Massachusetts continues to be the state with the lowest uninsured rate in the nation,” said Christine Loveridge, manager of research for the Center for Health Information and Analysis. “And yet, two-fifths of residents report they and their families experienced affordability issues in the last 12 months.” Affordability was a particular challenge for Black residents; 50.8 percent of respondents who identified as non-Hispanic Black said they or their family had problems paying for care. Additionally, 54.9 percent of Hispanic residents reported affordability issues in their families. Comparatively, only 37.9 percent of white residents had affordability challenges for themselves and their families. Affordability issues were not restricted to those with the lowest incomes. Instead, those with moderate family incomes struggled the most with costs, according to the survey, likely because of eligibility thresholds for government insurance. According to the report, 31 percent of residents said that they or a family member went without needed health care services in the last 12 months because of cost, with most of these residents reporting unmet dental care or specialist care needs. That’s up from 2019, when 27 percent of residents reported having an unmet health care need because of cost. - See the full Boston Globe article.
A June survey of more than 2,200 people by Morning Consult found a majority of adults surveyed said they know nothing about the law that went into effect this year, which protects consumers from getting saddled with surprise medical bills in most cases. It protects patients from owing the balance of a medical bill, like when a patient goes into an in-network facility for care but is unknowingly treated by an out-of-network physician. That physician sends the bill to the insurer, which only pays for a portion and leaves the patient with the remainder of the surprise out-of-network bill. The Morning Consult survey found
The survey results point to the complexity and weaknesses in the existing law. However, the law protects patients when the patient is at a hospital, hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgical center, and services like blood work are sent out of network, according to the law. - See the full Healthcare Dive article.
A half-dozen prominent Massachusetts politicians said the state needs to find ways to speed up cases at the agency that investigates discrimination complaints, following a report by WBUR that found some cases take well over a decade to complete. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz said the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination needs more money to address the delays. She recently sponsored a budget amendment to increase the MCAD's funding by nearly two-thirds, but it failed to muster enough votes. “I feel pretty outraged," said Chang-Díaz, a Boston Democrat. “We cannot keep talking about how much we care about equity while grossly underfunding the commission that is tasked with tackling discrimination in our state." Both Attorney General Maura Healey, who is running for governor, and all three candidates running for state auditor, promised to take a closer look at the issue if they win office. The top leaders in the Legislature also issued statements pledging to work with the commission to find solutions. In addition, the MCAD has had longstanding complaints about its inability to resolve investigations in a timely manner. One case, involving Worcester police officers, took 27 years before it was resolved last year. And WBUR found a dozen active cases in April had been pending for more than a decade. The agency said it had made progress reducing its backlog before the pandemic. An audit this spring by Auditor Suzanne Bump’s office concluded that nearly half of the MCAD’s cases (excluding housing complaints) missed the agency’s own 18-month deadline to reach a preliminary determination of whether a violation has occurred. And MCAD officials recently told WBUR it now takes an average of two years just to reach that initial finding. And cases can take many years longer to fully resolve. Both the House and Senate leadership said they are committed to finding ways to address the delays. - See the full WBUR story.
Massachusetts Bans Discrimination Based on Natural Hairstyles As Governor Charlie Baker signed legislation barring discrimination on the basis of a person’s natural hairstyle or hair texture into law, twin sisters Deanna and Mya Cook, 21, smiled with pride and joy. In 2017, the Cook sisters received detention, were removed from extracurriculars, and prohibited from attending prom while attending Mystic Valley Regional Charter School because they wore braids with extensions, a protective style banned through school policy. (The school has since removed the rules.) Their experience spurred state Representatives Steven Ultrino, a Malden Democrat, and Chynah Tyler, a Boston Democrat, to file the bill that finally made its way to the governor’s desk that afternoon. Massachusetts follows 17 other states in adopting language known as the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, or CROWN, Act. Now, it’s illegal in the Commonwealth to discriminate against a person for donning styles including, but not limited to, braids, locs, twists, and Bantu knots. Proponents say the law is a crucial first step in reversing centuries of harm perpetrated against Black Americans because of their natural hair textures. The final bill prohibits discrimination based on natural and protective hairstyles in schools, employment, housing, and business settings. It expands regulations related to hate crimes so that data reporting on hate crimes considers crimes based on natural hairstyles to be race-based. Language that was negotiated between the bodies applies the discrimination prohibition to public schools and to student athletic organizations, including the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. To avoid religion-related legal challenges, it includes an exception for religious private schools where applying the law “would not be consistent with the religious tenets of the institution.” The law tasks the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination with enforcing the protections. (See previous story about MCAD delays.) State Senator Lydia Edwards, a Democrat representing parts of Revere, Winthrop, Cambridge, and Boston, said she’s likely the first senator in the Commonwealth to wear locs. She said the CROWN Act’s signing means that people with textured hair can now spend money on styles that embrace their natural do’s, rather than an “oppressive economy” of styles like fake hair or Similar legislation still faces an uphill battle on the national level. In March, federal legislation, cosponsored by US Representative Ayanna Pressley, to officiate the CROWN Act passed in Congress along party lines with a 235-189 vote. It awaits a vote in the US Senate. Pressley, who wore Senegalese twists before losing her hair to alopecia, said in a statement Tuesday that she’s proud to see Massachusetts make history with the signing of the law. “For far too long, Black folks have been punished for the hair that grows on our heads and the way we move through and show up in this world—enough,” Pressley said. “... from our young students with braids to job applicants with locs, this law is meaningful protection for our natural hairstyles.” - See the full Boston Globe article with additional information from Commonwealth Magazine and WBUR.
New MA VOTES Law Includes No-Excuse Vote by Mail Gov. Charlie Baker has signed a voting reform package into law that codifies pandemic-era provisions intended to bolster access, including no-excuse voting by mail and expanded early voting. The compromise version of the bill signed by Baker — the culmination of months-long negotiations between Senate and House members — omitted same-day or Election Day voter registration, a measure already authorized in 19 other states, plus Washington, D.C. “The VOTES Act is a big step in the right direction and will help ensure that every voter can exercise their fundamental right to vote,” state Sen. Barry Finegold, the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws, had said in a statement. “We still have more work to do, especially on same-day voter registration, but I am thrilled to advance the comprehensive election reforms included in the VOTES Act.” Advocates have framed same-day voter registration as an equity issue, especially in Gateway Cities where people may move frequently and find themselves unable to cast a ballot at their previous precinct on Election Day. “Voters embraced mail-in voting and expanded early voting in 2020,” Beth Huang, executive director of the Massachusetts Voter Table, said in a statement last week as the legislation headed to Baker’s desk. “Once the VOTES Act becomes law, we will educate voters, especially in communities of color and working-class neighborhoods, about these permanent expansions of voting rights.” The VOTES Act mandates two weeks, including two weekends, of early voting for biennial state elections. It enshrines one week, including one weekend, of early voting for presidential or state primaries, as well. In an effort to increase civic participation, the legislation allows Bay Staters to register to vote 10 days before an election, compared to the current 20-day deadline. The bill also seeks to protect voting rights for incarcerated individuals, such as by requiring correctional facilities to display election information, among other reforms. “Every voter in Massachusetts can expect to receive a pre-addressed, postage pre-paid Vote by Mail application in just a few weeks,” Secretary of State William Galvin. “Voters who prefer to vote in person will be able to take advantage of expanded in-person early voting or vote at their polling place on Election Day.” The VOTES Act also includes a provision championed that will allow U.S. service members to vote through a secure online portal. Before the new reforms, an overseas service member would request an absentee ballot application from the local clerk and a ballot would be mailed or emailed to them. The service member would print it out, mark their votes and send it back to the clerk so that an election receiver could copy their votes onto another physical ballot. The law gives the secretary of the commonwealth’s office until Jan. 1 to approve and implement the new voting portal. - See the full MassLive article with additional material from New law streamlines voting process for state’s service members overseas (gazettenet.com).
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