MassHealth submitted its request to extend its 1115 demonstration for another 5 years to CMS for its approval. Comments are due to CMS  by February 3, 2022. We will be submitting this letter to CMS supporting full reinstatement of 3 months retroactive coverage for all MassHealth beneficiaries. You can read the sign-on letter here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nDYUcKsIEUurhk8SSlQ17plsDriYeUHi/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102374007497426096779&rtpof=true&sd=true. If your organization agrees with this goal, please complete this form to add its name to the letter.

The federal Medicaid statute requires that Medicaid pay for health care received by Medicaid eligible people for up to three months prior to the month in which they applied. This protects poor people from bad debt or using their  limited resources to pay off medical debt and protects safety net providers from bad debt too. Since 1997, MassHealth has had a waiver to allow it to only offer 10 days retroactive coverage for people under 65. During the COVID 19 pandemic it reinstated 3 months retroactive coverage for everyone. In its extension MassHealth says it will continue to offer 3 months retro to pregnant women and children but is asking for the federal agency to approve elimination of retroactive coverage for everyone else under 65 for another five years. Please help us bring back this important protection for all Medicaid beneficiaries!