Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services: Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces Additional Outreach Efforts to Help Older Adults Maintain Health Care Coverage

BOSTON, Massachusetts, May 23 -- The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services issued the following news release:

The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that MassHealth will provide $1.25 million in grant funding to help older adults and those who need assistance in completing the redetermination process. The grant funding will also fund enrollment events across the state, particularly for those who do not have access to existing supports.

Twenty-three faith- and community-based organizations (FBOs/CBOs) will receive funding through sub-grants awarded by Health Care For All to train existing staff to become certified application counselors (CACs). CACs are certified individuals who can help MassHealth members with renewals and receive specialized instruction on assisting older adults. The application process and eligibility criteria for many people over age 65 are more complex than for many other applicants.

MassHealth is also working with Health Care For All and Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare to hold special enrollment events for older adults in coordination with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs' senior centers and aging service access points (ASAPs). These events are geared to help those over age 65 receive enrollment assistance in their communities from trusted organizations.

"MassHealth is focused on supporting members through the redetermination process and finding new ways to reach all those who may need assistance with redetermination, in their own community," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh. "This funding will increase the mobility and capacity of community organizations to bolster the existing infrastructure that supports redetermination efforts, while ensuring we are able to reach and help all members with the process. This is a massive undertaking, and we are determined to make it easier for our members to provide the information necessary to maintain health care coverage."

"Our number one priority through the redetermination process is ensuring that our members do not experience unnecessary gaps in coverage. Making sure that members over the age of 65 and those that live in areas without easy access to enrollment assistance have the additional supports they need to complete the process is an essential part of reaching that goal and I am grateful to all of our trusted community partners who are helping us achieve that goal," said Assistant Secretary for MassHealth Mike Levine. "MassHealth is proud to partner with these organizations who are best-equipped to provide these supports and wants to thank the community organizations that have signed up to assist us in this effort."

Senior Whole Health is a Senior Care Options plan for MassHealth members over the age of 65 and has volunteered the use of its Mobile Health Center to support twenty events across Massachusetts. The Mobile Health Center is a traveling health facility designed to deliver health services in communities throughout the Commonwealth. The Mobile Health Center will also provide assistance at an additional ten events targeted towards communities in the Commonwealth with limited enrollment support services.

"Health Care For All is excited to partner with MassHealth and Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare to expand needed enrollment assistance capacity in key underserved communities," said Executive Director of Health Care For All Amy Rosenthal. "This effort to keep our communities covered is only possible with the collaboration of 23 community-based organizations who are preparing to deploy enrollment experts to senior centers, councils of aging, homeless shelters and other community-based settings."

"Senior Whole Health is proud to work with MassHealth and Health Care for All to ensure our state's most vulnerable populations receive the high-quality health care and supplemental resources they deserve," said Plan President for Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare William Graham. "This collaborative effort demonstrates our commitment to the health and well-being of seniors throughout Massachusetts."

"As a representative of one of Massachusetts's fifteen councils of aging, the Edward G. Connolly Center is proud to do our part to help older adults remain covered, and honored to host this important kick-off," said Executive Director of the Edward G. Connolly Center Dale Palma. "In the coming months, we look forward to working with MassHealth, Health Care For All, and community partners to ensure our older residents receive the assistance they need to remain enrolled."

"Mystic Valley Elder Services is honored to collaborate at the local level with community partners to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities submit the necessary redetermination documentation to MassHealth in order to maintain essential health insurance coverage," said Chief Executive Officer of Mystic Valley Elder Services Lisa Gurgone. Mystic Valley Elder Services is a federally designated Area Agency on Aging and one of 25 ASAPs in Massachusetts.

This partnership continues MassHealth's existing work to support underserved populations through multilingual targeted communications materials and webinars, and on-the-ground resources such as the MassHealth Renewal Help Guide, which includes step-by-step renewal instructions and commonly asked questions.

The complete list of organizations receiving grants is as follows:

Grants to expand existing enrollment assistance

1. Cape Verdean Association (Brockton)

2. Immigrant Assistance Center (New Bedford)

3. Cambodian Mutual Assistance Organization (Lowell)

4. Brazilian American Center (Framingham)

5. Community Economic Development Center (New Bedford)

6. Quincy Asian Resources (Quincy)

7. Chelsea Collaborative (Chelsea)

Grants to become enrollment assisters (CACs)

1. African Community Economic Development of New England (Greater Boston)

2. Agencia ALPHA (Greater Boston)

3. AgeSpan, Inc. (Lawrence)

4. Brazilian Women's Group (Greater Boston)

5. Community Health Awareness Network (Worcester)

6. Everett Haitian Community Center (Everett)

7. Federation for Children with Special Needs (Statewide)

8. Greater Framingham Community Church (Framingham)

9. Haitian Community Partners Foundation (Brockton)

10. Highlands Coalition (Lynn)

11. La Alianza Hispana (Greater Boston)

12. Massachusetts Senior Action Council (Statewide)

13. Pine Street Inn (Greater Boston)

14. Southeastern Massachusetts SER-Jobs for Progress, Inc (Fall River)

15. Tri-Valley, Inc. (Worcester)

16. True Alliance Center (Greater Boston)

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Original text here: https://www.mass.gov/news/healey-driscoll-administration-announces-additional-outreach-efforts-to-help-older-adults-maintain-health-care-coverage