Hereforadvice33 t1_j5x659c wrote on January 26, 2023 at 4:13 AM

Reply to comment by blacklassie in Mass health question by [deleted]

Oh this is great news, thank you so much

PolkaD0tMom t1_j5xkfet wrote on January 26, 2023 at 6:31 AM

Declining Masshealth coverage is NOT a qualifying event. Loss of coverage must be involuntary to count as a qualifying event. You are still eligible for Masshealth due to the Public health emergency but you have to report that you're married if you live together and make sure that Masshealth has all your current household information.

Once the public health emergency ends, if you don't qualify for Masshealth after being re-determined, then that is a qualifying event and you would use the termination letter from Masshealth (bring it to husband's employer) to open a Special Enrollment Period for you.

Maronita2020 t1_j671xev wrote on January 28, 2023 at 4:14 AM

I'm not the person you were responding to but I think the public health emergency is already considered over. I'm on Mass Health and have been since 2005 and yet had to go through a redetermination in 2022 to ascertain that I was still eligible for it otherwise they were going to terminate my Mass Health coverage. Mass Health has also reinstituted prescription drug copays, etc.

PolkaD0tMom t1_j6786ue wrote on January 28, 2023 at 5:14 AM

It's not. It's set to end in April and then Masshealth will be taking the next 12 months to make re-determinations for all 2.3 million Masshealth members.

> they were going to terminate my Mass Health coverage.

No, they weren't. The system has generated the same form renewals that generically say 'You must respond by this time in order to keep benefits', but Masshealth members received separate letters explaining the COVID protections.

> reinstituted prescription drug copays, etc.

There have always been Rx copays of $0, $1, or $3.65, depending on the medication. However, every Masshealth member receives a notice informing them of their monthly copay cap, which is dependent on their income.

Maronita2020 t1_j68a7xr wrote on January 28, 2023 at 1:19 PM

Yes, they were going to terminate my Mass Health coverage. I not only received the letter but was told the same thing over the phone by a supervisor. I never got any letters explaining COVID protections. During COVID there was no RX copays and there has been for sometime now.