It doesn’t work like that,” Rondinelli-Mejia said.įor some MassHealth recipients, changes in employment or income may mean they are not eligible for the benefits they were receiving for the past three years during the pause in renewals. “It’s never been the case that just because the date was yesterday and you didn’t do anything, you got yesterday or you got the next morning. Rondinelli-Mejia said that, once that due date passes the MassHealth system goes into termination mode, that process lasts for another week or two. “Even though they already did it, maybe last month, if they get another blue envelope, they have to do it again, just for the sake of making sure that everything is up to date,” Rondinelli-Mejia said.įor recipients who missed the due date, they should still try to renew. ![]() Rondinelli-Mejia said some people receive a second envelope if something in the MassHealth system didn’t register correctly. Recipients should respond promptly even if they have alre ady received one notice and gone through the renewal process. “Forty-five days may seem like a lot of time, but if there’s documentation you have to go fish out, if there’s, you know, that will take you a long time. “The key is, whatever channel you use, be prompt,” Williams said. Williams, too, said it is important to no t wait to address the notice. Look at the date that’s on the letter, which is the first piece of paper in the package and it will say your name, all that stuff, and it will say the date it’s due by.” “Don’t put it aside and don’t disregard it,” she said. Williams gave examples of staff members prepared to help recipients who speak Spanish, Haitian Creole and Khmer, the language of Cambodia.įor Rondinelli-Mejia, the most important information to convey is when a MassHealth recipient gets an envelope in the mail, they sho uld open it right away. “So, we’ve put together a multicultural team that is there to help people speak the language and do the translation.” “And the key too, though, is even though materials are in different languages, not everybody can read and write even in their language,” Williams said. Those counselors can help guide MassHealth recipients through the redetermination process, including in languages other than English, Rondinelli-Mejia said. They can also seek assistance from a certified application counselor, like Rondinelli-Mejia, at community health centers. Those seeking to renew can do so online through the Health Insurance Exchange system or over the phone. ![]() While the process overall is stretching from April 2023 to April 2024, Frederica Williams, president and CEO of Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, said when recipients receive their envelope they generally have 45 days to respond. Those envelopes are being sent out in batches. “What they decided is that everybody that gets this big, 8-inch by 10-inch blue envelope has to renew,” Rondinelli-Mejia said. Teresa Rondinelli-Mejia, lead certified application counselor at Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center in Dorchester, said that big push from the state is taking the form of thousands of blue envelopes. Now, following the end of the state’s emergency status in May, the program is returning to renewing the status of its recipients.įor recipients across the state, that means redetermining their eligibility status to continue receiving health benefits based on their income and other factors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state put a pause on renewing eligibility for MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program.
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