FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE:
CONTACT: John LoDico
AUGUST 31,
2009
(781) 262-6042
Statement of the Massachusetts Hospital Association on Governor
Patrick's Plan to Provide Health Insurance Coverage to 31,000 Tax-Paying
Legal Immigrants
MHA recognizes the tough decisions that needed to be made and commends the Patrick administration for preserving coverage for 31,000 tax-paying legal immigrants. Now the more difficult task of implementing the plan remains to ensure that it is successful for both patients and those who care for them.
The $40 million the governor had to work with is just 30 percent of the total ($130 million) that would be necessary to continue covering this population under Commonwealth Care.
Obviously, the gap between what was once required for coverage and what is now available poses significant challenges, and unanswered questions, moving forward.
While the new plan will preserve certain important coverage options for many of those who will lose Commonwealth Care coverage on September 1, this care will be covered by CeltiCare Health Plan of Massachusetts through Centene, whose presence in this state is currently limited. It is unclear what impact the new plan will have on patients that receive services at non-contracted hospitals and providers.
It is also unclear how this new plan will affect the state’s Health Safety Net Fund. Between tomorrow's cessation of benefits and the time this population is enrolled in CeltiCare, services provided to the 31,000 will be only covered by the Health Safety Net Trust Fund, which MHA estimates is underfunded in FY 2010. Shortfalls in the Health Safety Net Fund are borne solely by hospitals. Individuals unable to access care through the CeltiCare plan will continue to rely on the fund to pay for services.
MHA remains committed to working with the administration and legislature to ensure all patients have appropriate access to services and that adequate funding is available to support that care.
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